Airing on a rare Friday night time slot, UFC 141 kicks off your New Years’ weekend with a massive heavyweight main event between former UFC champion Brock Lesnar and UFC newcomer Alistair Overeem.
And as the only fighter making his UFC debut at UFC 141, it seems fitting for someone of Overeem’s stature that he have an entire edition of Fresh Faces dedicated to him. So without further adieu, come meet the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion known simply as the ‘Reem.’
Name: Alistair Overeem
Weight class: Heavyweight
Fighting: Brock Lesnar
Record: 35-11 (1 No Contest) (14 (T)KOs, 19 submissions)
Recent body of work: Defeated Fabricio Werdum by unanimous decision of the quarterfinals of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix
Who he is: Standing 6’5 and weighing in at 260 lbs of solid muscle, Alistair Overeem is one of the most physically imposing heavyweights in the world. The Reem spent most of his early career as a light heavyweight while building a reputation in PRIDE as a vicious fight finisher. But after suffering a three fight skid in late 2006-early 2007, Overeem decided to make a permanent move heavyweight, and changed his workout and nutrition regiments to put on more muscle. Four years and 40 additional pounds later, those moves have paid dividends.
Since late 2007, Overeem has gone undefeated in his last 11 MMA fights (10-0 (1 NC)), earning the Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight titles along the way. During that time, the Reem also captured the K-1 Kickboxing 2010 World Grand Prix championship, knocking out kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in the first round of the championship match to secure the title.
Given his kickboxing credentials and highlight-reel knockout videos, it can be easy to overlook that Overeem actually has more submission victories (19) than knockouts (14). Most of those have come by way of Overeem’s signature guillotine choke, which allows him to take advantage of his long arms and crushing strength. But when he does stand and trade, Overeem’s K-1 influences are evident behind his standing knees that he can throw from any distance. In fact, most of Overeem’s TKOs begin with a knee that crumples his opponents, before a punching barrage finishes the job.
With three titles in two different sports, a four-year unbeaten streak and a cameo in an LMFAO video to boot, Overeem has established himself as one of the most popular and talented fighters in the world. Now, after 47 pro MMA fights and 12 years in the sport, Overeem will fight for an opportunity to add a fourth belt to his collection; the UFC heavyweight title.
Cameron Gidari is the official writer for TapouTVTC.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/GidariTapouTVTC
