Alistair Overeem took out Aleksei Oleinik with strikes in the first round of the UFC St. Petersburg main event.

Alistair Overeem vs. Aleksei Oleinik was tons of fun for as long as it lasted!

The UFC’s #9 ranked heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik went right after the #7 ranked Alistair Overeem in the UFC St. Petersburg main event. Oleinik hurt his foe with haymakers, backing Overeem up to the cage. From there, Oleinik unloaded quite a bit of volume, attacking both the body and head. Overeem was able to endure the punishment, and started to uncork brutal knees to the midsection from the clinch. Then, Overeem went upstairs with the knees, which sent Oleinik crashing to the canvas. Overeem followed his injured opponent to the floor, and a barrage of ground strikes started to pour down. The referee gave Oleinik ample time to improve his position, but was ultimately forced to intervene and stop the fight.

What was the highlight of the fight?

The whole fight was pretty much a highlight, from Oleinik spitting his aggressive volume to Overeem cracking with his infamous knees. The best highlight of the fight was probably when Overeem actually dropped Oleinik with the knee to the face.

Where do these two go from here?

It’s tough to say where Overeem goes from here. He’s fought so many of the UFC elite heavyweights that it’s hard for him to avoid a rematch. A title fight with Daniel Cormier would be epic, but with DC nearing retirement, the UFC might place Overeem in the role of gatekeeper and pit him against a surging Shamil Abdurakhimov. Wherever Overeem ends up, it’s going to be exciting.

As for Oleinik, the 41-year-old has already over-produced and has gone further than anyone ever expected. He’s like the Dan Kelly of the heavyweight division. There are still plenty of UFC heavyweights with underdeveloped ground games who would be more than willing to get Ezekiel choked. Expect to see him against someone who is also coming off of a loss, like Marcin Tybura or Justin Willis.

Watch now, later, or never?

This finish wasn’t anything spectacular, aside from Overeem rallying to get it done, and this probably wouldn’t even make Overeem’s highlight reel. Nonetheless, this matchup was a lot of fun and ended in the first round. This is a fight that can definitely be watched later, but one to make sure and not forget to view.

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