As per ESPN, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem got the scars on his face, when he was 15 at the bar in his home country of the Netherlands. The guy broke a bottle on his face & had 20 stitches through his cheek.
Overeem's brother who also is in MMA, Valentijn, figured that the fighting should be for something constructive. So he brought his younger brother to the gym to start lifting weights, learn kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
His brother helped him focus to get out of trouble and get him in the right direction.
Overeem initially thought those skills would be used for a career in the military. However, his eyesight wasn't good. And because of this he just quit school and focused on fighting.
Overeem said in the interview, "I didn't want to just get deployed. I wanted to get in on the action." And action -- although in the ring -- is what he got.
Tip! Find the latest updates about Alistair Overeem on Twitter @Alistairovereem.