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Why Alistair Overeem has no problem fighting teammate Andrei Arlovski

Training partners, yes ... but friends? Alistair Overeem said he doesn’t consider teammate Andrei Arlovski a friend, and said he suspects Arlovski feels the same way.

Overeem will fight Arlovski in a significant fight within the UFC’s crowded heavyweight division, when they meet Sunday in the main event of a show in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

It is the UFC’s first venture into Holland, Overeem’s homeland, and he’s eager to please his hometown fans.

The fact that the opponent is Arlovski, whom Overeem hospitalized with a rib injury after delivering a knee during a sparring session in Albuquerque, N.M., in 2014, is all the better.

He got enough intel, he says, from their work together that he feels like he’ll be able to formulate a good game plan.

“I know enough to know what I need to do and also what not to do,” Overeem said.

Arlovski has seemed angry because he said Overeem sought him out for the bout, though Overeem has insisted he had little choice. He said UFC chairman/CEO Lorenzo Fertitta texted him and asked him to fight Arlovski.

Overeem, who is ranked No. 3 in the division, will find himself in another significant bout if he gets past the fifth-ranked Arlovski.

Stipe Miocic will challenge Fabricio Werdum for the heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 198 on May 14 in Brazil. At UFC 200, No. 1-ranked heavyweight Cain Velasquez will face No. 7 Travis Browne.

Overeem, who has won three in a row, could find himself fighting for the title with another win.

If Werdum and Velasquez both win, there is a chance the UFC would opt to pit them for the title in a rematch that was supposed to happen earlier this year. In that event, Overeem would find himself in another important match.

Alistair Overeem has won three straight fights and appears to be closing in on a title shot. (Getty)
Alistair Overeem has won three straight fights and appears to be closing in on a title shot. (Getty)

After a streak in which he lost three of four and seemed to be fading from contention, Overeem has beaten Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson and ex-champion Junior dos Santos in succession and put himself back in the hunt.

He believes a win should result in a UFC title shot. He prefers to use different terminology, however.

“I want to say this the right way, because this is how I feel,” he said. “When I win on Sunday, I’m not going to say a title shot is next. It’s a title win that will be next.”

The 35-year-old Dutchman will fight in his 56th MMA bout and, counting kickboxing, his 71st professional fight overall.

He’s had his ups and downs. He was the Strikeforce heavyweight champion at one point and stopped Brock Lesnar in the first round of his UFC debut in 2011.

But he suffered back-to-back losses to Antonio Silva and Browne and then was KO'd by Ben Rothwell.

His confidence, he said, was never frayed because he’s been so active.

“Sometimes you’re on top and sometimes you’re not,” he said. “When you fight for as long as I have, you have to learn to deal with the bad as well as with the good. The important thing is to keep learning.

“I’ve changed a lot over the years, because this sport is all about change. You have time in between fights to work on your techniques and improve your attacks. I’ve always been open to learning and improving.”

He’s excited to fight in Holland for the first time since 2009. The country, he said, has had a long passion for the striking game and kickboxing has been a major sport.

But interest in MMA is rising quickly.

“K1 is gone, and MMA is filling that gap,” he said. “People here are following the UFC now. They know Jon Jones, and Ronda [Rousey] and Conor McGregor. They’re catching on to it and this card is going to help.”

It will make a difference if Overeem and Arlovski put on the kind of fight they’re capable of. They’re extraordinary strikers, each of whom has the power to finish the other.

The fact that there’s no love lost between them only adds to the equation.

But Overeem isn’t necessarily looking to bring down the house. He’ll be pleased if he does, but his goal is simple.

“Get that [victory],” he said. “It starts there. Beat Arlovski and worry about everything else after that.”