Throughout the 2000s, betting in the Netherlands was straightforward. Back Alistar Overeem and more often than not, you’re likely to come away with a win. The Demolition Man went on a tear, ripping through PRIDE and finishing all in his way and putting Dutch fighters on the map.
Joining the UFC in 2011, Overeem debuted against Brock Lesnar, winning in brutal fashion in the first round. Although his UFC career didn’t quite go the way many thought it would, he did realise a UFC title shot in 2016, coming within a few seconds of winning the belt. It wasn’t to be, however, he would bounce back and finish with an MMA record of 47-19-0-1 and a UFC record of 12-8. Retiring from MMA 2021, Overeem left a huge legacy, especially for those from the Netherlands. We take a look at three Dutch fighters carrying on Overeem’s legacy.
3 Dutch Fighters Carrying on Alistair Overeem’s Legacy
Reinier de Ridder
Arguably one of the best Dutch fighters in MMA today, Reinier de Ridder has burst onto the UFC scene in recent times. Hardcore fans of the sport knew about de Ridder prior to his UFC debut in 2024 from his ONE Championship days.
RDR began his MMA career with a blistering record of 16-0, finishing his first 11 fights. Not only this, but he captured both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles, making two defences of the middleweight title in dominant fashion. Although he’d lose the belts to Anatoly Malykhin, it wouldn’t tarnish his legacy.
He began his UFC career with three straight finishes, including a dominant victory over the undefeated, up-and-coming star, Bo Nickal. Most recently, RDR defeated former champion, Robert Whittaker, showing that he can mix it with the best that the organisation has to offer. Expect to see the Dutchman in the title picture soon.
Melvin Van Suijdam
A name known to fans of European MMA, Melvin Van Suijdamd is a welterweight champion of two major Dutch organisations. Van Suijdam has competed for Oktagon MMA, going 1-1 with the promotion, proving that he’s ready to make the step up in competition. Known for his finishing ability, van Suijdam has notched 13 wins inside the distance, including six wins via knockout and seven via submission.
The Dutchman competed for the Levels Fight League welterweight title, however, lost in the second round. He bounced back from this loss, however, with a knockout win in June of this year.
Although he may be in the twilight of his career at 37 years of age, van Suijdam could make one final push for the big leagues.
Jarno Errens
Dutch featherweight, Jarno Errens has competed for some huge promotions in his career. UAE Warriors, BRAVE CF, the UFC and Levels Fight League have all had the pleasure of having Errens on their books at some point during his career.
Most known for his four fight UFC run, Errens clashed with some huge names in the promotion. Debuting in enemy territory against William Gomis, Errens would lose a narrow majority decision, despite putting in a decent performance. Next, he returned after an injury layoff to clash with SeungWoo Choi in a frantic fight which saw both men score a knockdown. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he was on the wrong end of the decision on that occasion.
His first UFC win would come against Steven Nguyen in a memorable match-up. He would score a knockdown and land 106 strikes on his way to victory. Not only this but this fight would earn him fight of the night honours and a $50K bonus. He would round out his UFC career with a submission loss against Youssef Zalal.
Since getting cut from the UFC, Errens has continued to build, picking up two straight victories. Expect to see him back in the UFC soon enough competing with the best and continuing to put Dutch fighting on the map.
