On December 30th, 2011 the Ultimate Fighting Championship will close the doors on an unbelievable year that consisted of some of the greatest fights of all-time.
But, before those doors are shut, one of the most hyped events in MMA history will take place as Brock Lesnar will make his return to the Octagon to take on highly regarded striker, Alistair Overeem.
Overeem, who’s never fought inside the Octagon of the UFC is the favorite leading up to their main event bout in Las Vegas, Nev.
However, as we’ve seen in the past, the favorite doesn’t always come out on top nor does he necessarily deserve to have that label.
A perfect example: Alistair Overeem.
As previously mentioned, Overeem has yet to participate at the highest level of MMA often referred to as the UFC.
While Overeem has certainly earned the right to his thick resume, he’ll have to prove he can be victorious against more than your average Strikeforce opponent.
The biggest component, at least leading up to Overeem’s showdown with Lesnar, will revolve around the takedown.
Can Lesnar take down Overeem or can Overeem stuff the Lesnar takedown?
Many believe the answer of this question will ultimately lead to the winner of their clash on December 30th.
However, it’s unusual that many fans believe that the former Division I wrestler Lesnar won’t be able to place Overeem on his back.
It’s quite possible that Lesnar will be the best wrestler Overeem’s ever had to meet as he’ll certainly look to remain on his feet as long as the fight may last.
The Lesnar critiques which state “Overeem can’t be taken down by Lesnar” have been proven to be false even before their fight begins.
Why?
Because, Overeem has been taken down several times before, against less experienced wrestlers than Lesnar.
Despite a unanimous decision victory over Fabricio Werdum earlier this year, Overeem was taken to the ground.
Overeem has also been placed on his back by Antonio “Rogerio” Nogueira, Mark Hunt and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Therefore, the question of whether or not Lesnar can take Overeem to the ground isn’t really a question at all.
It will happen.
And, when it does happen, the only question that will be present is whether or not Overeem can escape or catch Lesnar as did Frank Mir at UFC 81.
If Overeem can’t escape, he’ll endure vicious elbows, body shots and power punches from Lesnar, ultimately resulting in an Overeem defeat in his Octagon debut.
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