For the better part of a minute, the new Ailstair Overeem, the one who had just joined Jackson’s MMA, looked a whole lot like the vintage striker who was such a fan favorite. The former Strikeforce and Dream champion mixed up swift, efficient strikes and kept Ben Rothwell off-balance.
Then things changed fast. Rothwell clobbered Overeem with a right hand above the ear and followed up on the mat with a series of uncontested punches, bringing a halt to their heavyweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 50. The time of the match at Foxwoods Casino was 2:19.
“You just witnessed what happens when you believe in yourself,” said Rothwell (34-9). “I’m not prepared to take my way to the title.”
Rothwell was fighting for the first time since UFC 164 last summer, after which he was suspended for elevated levels of testosterone. After recording his 20th career KO/TKO, Rothwell gave an impassioned interview in which he thanked his supporters and chided his detractors.
But it all came back to confidence.
“That was me being confidence,” Rothwell said. “I came in here and I knew what I wanted to do, I didn’t think about what he was doing.”
Overeem (37-14) has been finished in three of his past four fights.