Author: Tim Daniels

UFC 141 Fight Card: Brock Lesnar Will Shake off Rust to Upset Alistair Overeem

Brock Lesnar hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since he got pummeled by Cain Velasquez last October, losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the process. His return will be much more successful as he’ll shake off the rust and pick up a win over UFC ne…

Brock Lesnar hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since he got pummeled by Cain Velasquez last October, losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the process. His return will be much more successful as he’ll shake off the rust and pick up a win over UFC newcomer Alistair Overeem.

Lesnar is an underdog heading into the fight because nobody is quite sure how prepared he’ll be. If there’s one thing fans should have learned about him by now, it’s that there isn’t a more fierce competitor in mixed martial arts than the former WWE star.

He wouldn’t have returned unless he was ready to dominate like he did in wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. If anything, the extra time off to recover from some health scares should have given the rest of his body time to heal as well.

At his peak, Lesnar was the emerging sport’s biggest star and among the most feared fighters around. That aura has taken a hit since he’s missed so much time, but that’s nothing a couple marquee victories won’t fix.

Overeem makes the move to UFC after an extremely successful stint with Strikeforce. He hasn’t lost since 2007 when Sergei Kharitonov knocked him out.

That was the fourth loss in five fights for Overeem, whose career appeared to be spinning out of control. He was able to regain his bearings, however, and has been a dominant force ever since, so it makes sense that he moves to the premier MMA company.

Facing off with Lesnar is a tough ask for his first fight. Few fighters he’s faced in the past have possessed the same power potential that Lesnar has when he’s clicking on all cylinders.

Only one of Lesnar’s fights has gone the distance, and that trend is likely to continue tonight. That said, don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer than his recent bouts that have all ended in the first two rounds. It’s going to take some time for him to find his footing before going into attack mode.

All told, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Overeem win the first round before Lesnar finds his form. Look for Lesnar to take control from there en route to a third round knockout victory.

It should be an awesome, fast-paced fight regardless of the outcome.

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UFC 141 Predictions: Brock Lesnar Defeats Overeem and Other Bold Outcomes

The hype machine is working at full capacity with just two days until UFC 141. The main event between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will be the marquee attraction, but there are several under-card fights worth keeping an eye on as well. Here are th…

The hype machine is working at full capacity with just two days until UFC 141. The main event between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will be the marquee attraction, but there are several under-card fights worth keeping an eye on as well.

Here are three underdogs with a great chance of pulling off an upset.

 

Brock Lesnar

A lot has been made of Lesnar’s extended layoff after his loss to Cain Velasquez and his surgery earlier this year, but he’s a competitor above all else. He wouldn’t be stepping back into the cage if he didn’t seriously believe he had a chance to defeat Overeem.

When healthy, Lesnar was one of the sport’s most dominant figures and there’s no reason he can’t return to that level if he’s completely healed. Only one of his seven bouts have gone the distance, so expect a fast-paced fight that sends the fans home happy regardless of the result.

Prediction: Lesnar by TKO in the second round.

 

Anthony Njokuani

After starting his career 12-2, it’s been a rocky couple of years for Njokuani. He’s lost three of his past five fights and hasn’t shown as much of his trademark explosiveness recently. That said, he’s coming off an impressive victory over Andre Winner, so he should have momentum on his side.

He was originally slated to face Ramsey Nijem, but will instead fight Danny Castillo because Nijem was injured. Castillo will be fighting on short rest after beating Shamar Bailey last month, which should give the attacking style of Njokuani a better chance of success.

Prediction: Njokuani by TKO in the third round.

 

Luis Ramos

Ramos had been on quite a roll before getting knocked out 40 seconds into his fight with Erick Silva in August. He’s a good technical fighter, which doesn’t always please the casual fans, but he knows that to optimize his chances of winning, he needs to wear down his opponent rather than go for a quick KO.

His opponent on Friday night, Matt Riddle, has lost two straight bouts but is still considered the favorite. This is really a toss-up fight that will depend on whether or not Ramos can gain an early edge so he can keep the pace in his comfort zone. He should be able to do that en route to a decision victory.

Prediction: Ramos by unanimous decision.

 

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UFC on Fox Preview: Long Layoff Will Hurt Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos

Cain Velasquez returns from a shoulder injury to defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against Junior dos Santos. Velasquez injured the shoulder while winning the title from Brock Lesnar last October and hasn’t fought since. That l…

Cain Velasquez returns from a shoulder injury to defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against Junior dos Santos. Velasquez injured the shoulder while winning the title from Brock Lesnar last October and hasn’t fought since.

That long layoff, along with some added pressure from being the first UFC fight on FOX, means Velasquez’s first title defense is anything but guaranteed. He’ll need to return in elite form if he plans on knocking off dos Santos, who hasn’t lost since 2007 and is unbeaten since joining UFC.

It should be an exciting FOX debut for UFC as the bout pits two fighters who love going for the knockout against each other, something Velasquez mentioned during the build up (via Fight News).

“From both of us, we have exciting fighting styles. We don’t go out there and put on boring fights. We’re both going to go forward. That’s what fans are going to see, that’s what people who haven’t seen this before are going to see on Saturday.”

While it’s good that Velasquez understands what type of fight it’s going to be, it will work against him because he will need some time to get his Octagon legs back under him. If dos Santos can land one big shot early, it could be a one-and-done scenario for the champion.

It will be important for him to come out on the offensive if he wants to retain the belt.

At least under that scenario he should be able to fend off dos Santos’ aggression while getting back into a good flow.

He is still the favorite, so the oddsmakers believe he can readjust quickly enough to maintain the title, but it won’t be easy.

Dos Santos is one of UFC’s fiercest strikers and isn’t 13-1 in his MMA career because of luck. He’s earned this opportunity and knows Velasquez may never be more vulnerable than he is tonight.

Look for a tremendous back-and-forth battle and don’t be surprised if the UFC heavyweight championship changes hands when it’s over.

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