Alistair Overeem still managed by Authentic Sports but training in Thailand for must-win

With a critical fight approaching at UFC 169, Alistair Overeem has moved his training camp from South Florida to Thailand.

Overeem’s manager, Glenn Robinson of Authentic Sports Management, downplayed the move’s significance. He said that while the ex-Strikeforce champ retains a business relationship with his firm, the fighter is a free agent when it comes to preparation.

“He ran his own camps out of our gym, like he had his own trainers and brought his own training partners,” Robinson today told MMAjunkie. “Some of the guys trained with him, but for the most part, he did his own thing. This time, he decided to go to Thailand.

“He’s welcome here whenever he wants. I still manage him. The only difference is, he decided he wanted to be in Thailand for this camp.”

Overeem (36-13 MMA, 1-2 UFC), who meets ex-UFC champ Frank Mir (16-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) at the Feb. 22 pay-per-view event at Newark’s Prudential Center, signed with ASM in February 2012. He touted the firm as a place where he could focus on his goal of becoming UFC heavyweight champ.

At the time, Overeem was entangled in litigation with his former management team, Golden Glory, whom he later settled with for an undisclosed sum.

Overeem’s UFC debut saw him earn a UFC 141 win over Brock Lesnar. His return was delayed when he failed a pre-fight drug screen in advance of title fight with now-former champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146. He returned to the octagon at UFC 156, where he was knocked out by Antonio Silva.

A subsequent knockout loss to Travis Browne at UFC Fight Night 26 left Overeem with back-to-back losses for the first time since 2007. UFC President Dana White cast doubt on the fighter’s future in the UFC.

However, Overeem was brought back to face Mir, who, like him, is battling a slump and has lost his past three.

It’s not the first time Overeem has trained in Thailand. While under the Golden Glory banner, he was filmed training for his winning performance at the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix.

Nevertheless, Robinson said the change in training scenery has been good for Overeem, who recently tweeted pictures of himself in Thailand.

“It worked out really well,” he said. “He said he feels really great, no issues. Everything is going very smooth for him.”

For the latest on UFC 169, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Alistair Overeem)