Alistair Overeem pulling for Junior dos Santos to beat Stipe Miocic at UFC 211

There’s no love lost between Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos, but ‘The Reem’ is, for the first time in his career, rooting for ‘Cigano’ to dethrone heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 211.

The reason is obvious: Overeem knocked out dos Santos at Orlando’s Amway Center in 2015, and a win for the Brazilian at UFC 211 puts Overeem at the front of the queue for another title shot.

Miocic, 34, KO’d Overeem in a championship bout at UFC 203, and if the Cleveland native retains the belt against dos Santos, it’s going to be hard for ‘The Demolition Man’ to argue his case for a rematch.

“May the best man win, but Junior’s fighting style is very compatible with Stipe, and then, of course, I’ve got to do my thing against Mark,” Overeem told MMA Junkie Radio on Tuesday, per Steven Marrocco. “But logically, that would be very good for my title attempts if Junior would win, because the rematch could be there. So I’m definitely rooting for Junior in this one, for a change.”

Overeem, 36, says dos Santos will also be pulling for a rematch so, from a promotional standpoint, the bout makes a lot of sense. Dos Santos already holds a win over Miocic, beating the current champ in a pulsating five-round battle at UFC on FOX 13.

“Junior is rooting for that rematch if he wins this fight,” he said. “I can definitely see that happen. That’s something I will be gunning for.”

Overeem will first have to get past heavyweight bulldozer Mark Hunt, who he beat under the DREAM banner in 2008.

“It’s nine years later,” Overeem said. “I would hope he’s a better and different fighter. When I look at his results, he definitely made a comeback.

“He’s learned some new tricks. He’s finishing his fights. I can remember he’s a very strong guy – tremendously strong, so you don’t want to get hit by him. You’ve got to be sharp at all times. But I feel very confident going into this fight.”

Both men are former K-1 world champions, and their bout at next month’s UFC 209 pay-per-view promises to be a barn-burner. The event takes place on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC 211, which features Miocic vs. Dos Santos in the main event, takes place May 13 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.