Background
Overeem was born in Amersfoort, Utrecht but now lives in Turkey and is associated with the Imperial Athletics gym in Boca Raton, Florida where he trains with his younger brother Alistair.
Overeem was born in Amersfoort, Utrecht but now lives in Turkey and is associated with the Imperial Athletics gym in Boca Raton, Florida where he trains with his younger brother Alistair.
He has previously fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS, KSW, K-1, M-1 Global, Its Showtime and Strikeforce. Valentijn was trained at the Chris Dolman gym, where he specialized himself in kickboxing and sambo before debuting at the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Fighting Network RINGS. In 1999, Overeem participated in the RINGS King of Kings tournament, but he was submitted and eliminated by Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at the first round. Overeem earned a yellow card for holding the ropes to avoid a takedown at one point, but he made up by outstriking Suren and focusing on kicking his injured leg, finishing the match by knee strikes.
Valentijn then advanced further by beating famed luta livre practitioner Renato Sobral in an upset.
Despite Overeem being almost knocked out by an illegal punch from Sobral while they were in a leglock exchange, the Dutch fighter got composed after a break and quickly locked a keylock on Sobral, making him tap out. After eliminating Yoshihisa Yamamoto by armbar in under one minute, Overeem continued advancing, and got another upset by choking out Randy Couture in a failed takedown.
The final match of the tournament was against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira himself, with Overeem submitted again in similar time. On 9 June 2010, Overeem signed to fight under the Strikeforce banner.
He was scheduled to fight Antônio Silva on 4 December 2010, but suffered an injury that caused him to withdraw from the fight.
Overeem then returned against Chad Griggs at Strikeforce: Overeem versus Werdum on 18 June 2011, in Dallas, Texas. Overeem lost as he tapped out due to punches.
On 3 August 2011, Golden Glory announced that Overeem had been released from his contract by Strikeforce.
He replaced injured Jérôme Le Banner and took the fight on 2 days notice. Overeem fought a kickboxing fight on 23 February 2013 after 16 years of inactivity as a professional kickboxer when he faced James Wilson, a former professional boxer turned kickboxer, this was held in Miami on the debut event of South-1 Challenge,it was later ruled a Number Contest due to an unsafe ring as both fighters fell over the ropes with Wilson falling twice.
On 7 December 2013, Overeem fought Mikhail Mokhnatkin at Fight Nights - Battle of Moscow 14. Overeem lost via KO in the first round.
Overeem faced Konstantin Gluhov in a rematch on 12 April 2014 at PFC 6: Pancrase Fighting Championship 6.
Overeem lost by first round KO. Overeem would then lose his next bout via TKO at HOG: House of Gladiators 9 in round one. Fighting Network RINGS
RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament Runner Up
Durata World Grand Prix.