UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem signs with VFD Marketing

One week after a manager’s fiery interview, Alistair Overeem (37-13 MMA, 2-2 UFC) officially is the latest talent acquisition of VFD Marketing.

MMAjunkie today confirmed VFD president John Fosco has signed the UFC heavyweight after his exit from Authentic Sports Management, which was first reported by BloodyElbow.com.

“While I made some good friends in the process and have a lot of respect for (ASM head) Glenn Robinson, I felt it was time to move forward into a more structured business environment catered to my specific needs,” Overeem said in a prepared statement. “I am fully confident that making this move is the best choice for me at this point in my career.”

Overeem signed with ASM in 2012 after an acrimonious split with his longtime management firm Golden Glory, who initiated legal proceedings that ended in an out-of-court settlement the same year.

The 33-year-old former Strikeforce champ recently returned to the win column by outpointing ex-champ Frank Mir at UFC 169 in a dominant performance. Yet it failed to please UFC President Dana White, who later said Overeem should have finished the bout.

Overeem later said he pursued a more conservative game plan to protect his job after back-to-back losses against Antonio Silva and Travis Browne put him close to a pink slip.

The Dutch-English fighter, who now resides in Florida, remains unbooked. Recently, he drew headlines for turning down a proposed fight with Junior dos Santos, whom he was scheduled to fight for the title at UFC 146 before a failed drug test nixed the opportunity. Overeem explained he had a rib injury and was unable to fight, but he again drew White’s ire.

Fosco this past week spoke to MMAjunkie about the UFC’s sponsorship market and blamed managers for creating situations in which fighters are forced to accept meager payouts for backing.

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