Coach Winkeljohn says that if Overeem doesn’t become a team player at Jackson’s, he ‘will be ostracized real quick’ and will be gone

Alistair Overeem may be on his way to Jackson’s MMA, but there are a few things he will need to alter in his training methodology if he is to be fully integrated into the team.

Coach Mike Winkeljohn, who heads the gym along with Greg Jackson, expressed his excitement regarding the addition of an elite striker such as Overeem, but also mentioned that there was quite a few aspects of his game that could be altered.

“I’m excited about a striker like him thing there’s one thing I want to do, he’s got great striking but he needs to change it.” Winkeljohn told Submission Radio. “I feel we can help him change that a little bit for MMA. He’s planning on coming, I haven’t spoke with him yet, but as soon as he comes I’m going to be excited to be working with him.”

Winklejohn detailed some of the changes he would help Overeem make, which include altering his angles after an attack and defense.

“He’s so strong the guy can hit hard, I mean Travis Browne told me how hard he and hit, but the thing is I want him to not be striking and then standing in a place where he can get counter punched and or taken down. He needs to strike and then make slight angle changes, I think will change his game tremendously.”

While Winkeljohn is excited about the assets that Overeem brings to the team, he was also weary about the Dutchman’s past experiences at camps such as the Blackzilians, where he refused to act as a team player.

“I think we need to, that’s just the way our camp is. It’s first and foremost you have to help others and if you start helping other people out, if he could help other people out with his stand up and his knowledge in different positions, and the team is going to help him. If not, he will be ostracized real quick and he’ll be gone.”

“The guys won’t do it themselves or want me to be a jerk about it, which I’m usually a jerk, but it just happens that way. That’s, why we’re so good at what we do I think is, the guys help each other and that’s huge, because you can’t do it by yourself no matter how good you think you are, you need to help others to become successful in this sport.”