Francis Ngannou sends Alistair Overeem a message following UFC release

Francis Ngannou sent his former opponent Alistair Overeem a message after hearing news of his UFC release.

Earlier this week it was announced that the former DREAM and Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Overeem (47-19 MMA), had been released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

In addition to letting go the former title challenger in Alistair Overeem, the UFC also bid farewell to former heavyweight kingpin Junior dos Santos.

Overeem had gone just 4-4 over his past 8 Octagon appearances which included a viscous knockout to the aforementioned Francis Ngannou. Despite his recent inconsistency, many fans were surprised to hear the UFC had parted ways with ‘The Reem’.

Alistair Overeem had previously taken to social media where he issued the following statement on his UFC departure.

“The final run has come to an end, but what a run it has been. After 10 years in the UFC I can say this has been the experience of a lifetime. Grateful to the UFC the fans and all fighters. A special thank you to Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for making everything possible.” – Overeem wrote.

Most recently Francis Ngannou took to Twitter where he bid the following classy farewell to his former opponent and MMA legend Alistair Overeem.

What a run!! Congratulations on your amazing career and thank you for what you've done for our sport 🙏.
Enjoy your retirement and your family, you deserve it. #Respect https://t.co/HhOSwp26Mq

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) March 6, 2021

“What a run!! Congratulations on your amazing career and thank you for what you’ve done for our sport. Enjoy your retirement and your family, you deserve it. #Respect“ – Ngannou replied to Overeem’s post.

Francis Ngannou of course is preparing to rematch reigning UFC heavyweight kingpin Stipe Miocic later this month at UFC 260. The pair initially collided at UFC 220, with the Cleveland native retaining his championship by way of unanimous decision.

‘The Predator’ will enter the highly anticipated rematch on a four fight winning streak, with all four wins coming by way of knockout. During that impressive stretch, Francis Ngannou has scored stoppage victories over Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

As for Alistair Overeem, the longtime heavyweight contender is already fielding interest from both RIZIN and BKFC.