Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir met at UFC 169 in a bout that may have been a loser leaves town bout.
Overeem was the victor, and now Mir may be forced to leave town.
It was a solid 15 minutes of work from The Reem. He was in total control of the action over all three rounds, and the former UFC Heavyweight Champion did not have enough offense to muster against Overeem.
In a division that is still lacking contenders, Overeem is not far off from being one. Who should the UFC put him against next? Here are three men the organization should take a gander at for The Reem.
Junior dos Santos
The No. 1-ranked heavyweight will not be getting another crack at the UFC Heavyweight Championship anytime soon. That is the danger of being brutalized in two bouts against the champion, Cain Velasquez.
There is one fight that has always had a lot of buzz around it, and now may be the best time to schedule it: Dos Santos vs. Overeem.
The two hard-hitting heavyweights are known for their striking. Dos Santos is one of the top boxers in the division, and Overeem is a former K-1 Grand Prix World Champion. The fight sells on paper, and it would be a fight that would excite the fans.
There are plenty of reasons to make the fight, but with Overeem just getting his first win since 2011 it may not be the best choice for Overeem to take.
“Bigfoot” Silva is coming off a no-contest to Mark Hunt. It was originally a majority draw, but after post-fight tests came back positive for elevated levels of testosterone it was changed. Silva was suspended for nine months.
Silva’s suspension will be up in the fall, and a rematch with Overeem makes a lot of sense.
Overeem dominated the early portions of their fight, but was unable to put Silva away. Bigfoot then mounted a comeback and knocked Overeem out. It was what put Silva into a title fight against Velasquez.
It is a rematch that could sell for two heavyweights outside the title picture. The UFC could put it as a co-main event on any card they wish. It is good business, and the winner would be in a position to challenge one of the higher ranked heavyweights later in 2014 or early 2015.
Brendan Schaub
If the UFC wants to build Overeem back up then this is the fight to make.
Schaub is ranked No. 15 in the heavyweight division, and he is riding back-to-back victories for the first time since 2011. Schaub has been honing his skills, game-planning better and working on becoming a threat in the division.
However, he still has a questionable chin. This would be a fight to test both fighters and elevate the winner into contendership status.
Overeem will test the striking defense and chin of Schaub. Schaub will push Overeem over the course of the fight testing his takedown defense and cardio. It is a perfect fight to see where both heavyweights are before giving them premier bouts.
That is why this is the fight to make.
There is no reason to rush Overeem into a fight against the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division. He and Schaub are still working on their fight game as they try to make a bid for being contenders. This fight would help the fighters and the division move forward in the right direction.
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