Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne will square off in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 26, which will air live tonight on the brand new Fox Sports 1 network at Boston’s TD Garden.
The Facebook prelims will begin at 4 p.m., the prelims on Fox Sports…
Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne will square off in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 26, which will air live tonight on the brand new Fox Sports 1 network at Boston’s TD Garden.
The Facebook prelims will begin at 4 p.m., the prelims on Fox Sports 1 will start at 6 p.m., and the main card will kick off at 8 p.m.
Less than a year after failing a pre-fight drug test and squandering his chance to fight then-heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos, Overeem saw his 12-fight unbeaten streak come to a halt at UFC 156. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva shockingly KO’d the favored Overeem early in the third round, effectively derailing the mass hysteria that surrounded “The Demolition Man.”
The once-beaten Browne also suffered a devastating loss recently at the hands of Bigfoot, although the gargantuan Hawaiian bounced back in his last bout with a first-round KO of Gabriel Gonzaga at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.
But regardless of Overeem’s recent pitfalls, aggregate betting website Bovada.com has deemed The Demolition Man a 2.3-to-1 (-230) favorite to top Browne (+180).
Join Bleacher Report later in the night for pre-fight hype, post-fight reactions and play-by-play coverage of the Overeem/Browne tilt.
Featuring a lot of dudes with incredibly similar names, the weigh-ins for tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen are going down from the TD Garden like five minutes ago, but luckily, CagePotato tech specialist George Maharis has hijacked the weigh-in stream and will now be broadcasting it exclusively through us, so get in here to check out all the results.
Featuring a lot of dudes with incredibly similar names, the weigh-ins for tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen are going down from the TD Garden like five minutes ago, but luckily, CagePotato tech specialist George Maharis has hijacked the weigh-in stream and will now be broadcasting it exclusively through us, so get in here to check out all the results.
Main Card:
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Chael Sonnen (205)
Travis Browne (236) vs. Alistair Overeem (255.5)
Yuri Alcantara (136) vs. Urijah Faber (135.5)
Matt Brown (171) vs. Mike Pyle (170)
Uriah Hall (184) vs. John Howard (185)
Michael Johnson (156) vs. Joe Lauzon (156)
Preliminary Card:
Michael McDonald (135) vs. Brad Pickett (135.5)
Max Holloway (145) vs. Conor McGregor (146)
Mike Brown (145.5) vs. Steven Siler (145.5)
Diego Brandao (146) vs. Daniel Pineda (144.5)
Manny Gamburyan (145.5) vs. Cole Miller (146)
Cody Donovan (204) vs. Ovince St. Preux (205.5)
Ramsey Nijem (156) vs. James Vick (155)
Many of us assumed that Alistair Overeem would be the UFC Heavyweight champion by now. He did, after all, defeat P4P GOAT and future UFC HOFer Brock Lesnar in his promotional debut with a Diverticulitis Kick so powerful that it sent shockwaves throughout the MGM Grand and possibly the entire planet. Unfortunately, a poorly planned roid cycle, an ill-timed injury and a subsequent ass whooping at the hands of Antonio Silva at UFC 156 all but completely derailed the goliath’s title aspirations.
*lowers voice ten octaves* That is, until now.
The latest episode of the always spectacular The Reem, “Back to Basics,” depicts the former Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight champion, well, getting back to basics. No longer a full-fledged Blackzilian (which we’re sure has nothing to do with the camp’s close proximity to the Biogenesis clinic), Overeem shifted his training camp back to Holland to focus on his upcoming fight with Travis Browne at Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen. Not to start overhyping Overeem again, but if the video that awaits you after the jump is any indication, we should probably start preparing ourselves for A NEW FUTURE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP AWWWW YEAH SNAPINTOASLIMJIM!!1!
Many of us assumed that Alistair Overeem would be the UFC Heavyweight champion by now. He did, after all, defeat P4P GOAT and future UFC HOFer Brock Lesnar in his promotional debut with a Diverticulitis Kick so powerful that it sent shockwaves throughout the MGM Grand and possibly the entire planet. Unfortunately, a poorly planned roid cycle, an ill-timed injury and a subsequent ass whooping at the hands of Antonio Silva at UFC 156 all but completely derailed the goliath’s title aspirations.
*lowers voice ten octaves* That is, until now.
The latest episode of the always spectacular The Reem, “Back to Basics,” depicts the former Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight champion, well, getting back to basics. No longer a full-fledged Blackzilian (which we’re sure has nothing to do with the camp’s close proximity to the Biogenesis clinic), Overeem shifted his training camp back to Holland to focus on his upcoming fight with Travis Browne at Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen. Not to start overhyping Overeem again, but if the video that awaits you after the jump is any indication, we should probably start preparing ourselves for A NEW FUTURE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP AWWWW YEAH SNAPINTOASLIMJIM!!1!
With this weekend’s Fox Sports 1 launch, the UFC wanted to kick things off in a major way, and the table is set for the promotion to do just that.
For their first stop in Boston in nearly three years, the UFC put together a loaded card that features se…
With this weekend’s Fox Sports 1 launch, the UFC wanted to kick things off in a major way, and the table is set for the promotion to do just that.
For their first stop in Boston in nearly three years, the UFC put together a loaded card that features several pivotal matchups in multiple divisional title pictures. In addition to the high-profile tilts that line the top of the card, there are several bouts laced throughout the event which also carry heavy stakes for the fighters involved.
While every fight matters at the highest levels of MMA, UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen has a unique feel, as every bout on the Fox Sports 1 portion of the card will have an impact on the future of the competitors stepping into the Octagon at TG Garden.
Potential championship opportunities and fighters battling to remain relevant in title pictures line the top of the card, and a collection of talented fighters looking to prove that the hype behind them is real will fill out the remainder of the televised portion of the event.
That level of high-stakes action makes Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 26 card a must-see event.
Let’s take a look at what is on the line for the fighters on the card.
Title Implications on the Line
When Alistair Overeem signed his UFC contract, many figured it would only be a matter of time before the Dutch, striking monster was reigning atop the heavyweight division. The former Strikeforce, K-1 and Dream champion wrecked shop on every platform outside the UFC. When “The Reem” made his impressive Octagon debut, thrashing former champion Brock Lesnar, the 33-year-old knockout artist appeared to be well on his way to climbing the next mountain in his path.
But a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone and a nine-month suspension put Overeem on the sidelines and brought his championship momentum to a halt. He attempted to re-ignite the fires of a title run in his return to the Octagon against Antonio Silva at UFC 156, but after suffering a stunning knockout loss to “Bigfoot” in Las Vegas, Overeem suddenly found himself with his back against the wall.
With tremendous expectation hovering overhead and a hefty contract to boot, the Dutchman will absolutely need to get things back on track this weekend in Boston when he steps in the Octagon against Travis Browne. If Overeem can pick up an impressive victory over the Jackson’s MMA-trained fighter, he will jump back into the title mix of the heavyweight division. On the other hand, should he come up short against Browne, questions of his elite-level status will take center stage.
Things look a bit different on Browne’s side of the table. While the 31-year-old Hawaiian is currently ranked among the best in the division, he has yet to pick up that one signature victory that would allow him to trade in his prospect tag for that of legitimate title contender. “Hapa” was poised to take that step against Silva at UFC on FX 5 back in October of last year, but found himself on the end of a brutal first round knockout at the hands of the Brazilian.
The rangy striker bounced back in his next outing, as he picked up a first round stoppage victory over Gabriel Gonzaga at the TUF 17 Finale in April, and he will have the perfect opportunity to solidify himself as a title contender if he can defeat Overeem at UFC Fight Night 26 this weekend in Boston. While besting the Dutch, striking juggernaut is no easy task, if Browne can topple the former Strikeforce champion, he will certainly earn his place in the upper-tier of the heavyweight division.
While there may not be any immediate title implications on the line in the main event between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and ChaelSonnen, the bout is absolutely crucial for both fighters.
The “Gangster from West Linn” is coming off back-to-back title opportunities in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, and if he has any hopes of getting back into striking distance of another shot at UFC gold, he will absolutely need to defeat the former champion on Saturday night.
Make no mistake about it—Sonnen‘s knack for promotion makes him one of the biggest draws under the UFC banner, but the mercurial 36-year-old hasn’t tasted victory inside the Octagon since he defeated Michael Bisping back in January of 2012. In all fairness to Sonnen, his two losses over this stretch have come against Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. Nevertheless, if Sonnen is going to get his career back on track, a victory over Rua is a necessity.
Where Sonnen will be dropping back down to middleweight regardless of the outcome, Rua will remain in the light heavyweight ranks with the intention of making another run at the 205-pound title. After dropping his last outing to current No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on Fox 5 back in December, the former middleweight Pride Grand Prix champion is in desperate need of a victory inside the Octagon.
There are a handful of potential contenders lingering in the light heavyweight ranks, and if Rua hopes to remain in stride with the pack, he cannot afford another back step when he faces Sonnen this weekend in Boston.
Fighting to Remain in the Mix
Title pictures are heating up in nearly every division under the UFC banner. On Saturday night, a pair of matchups will determine who rises and who falls in the welterweight and bantamweight divisions.
In 170-pound action, resurgent TUF alum Matt Brown will put his five-fight winning streak on the line when he faces savvy veteran Mike Plyle. The 32-year-old Ohio native has logged one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent memory, as he bounced back from a rough patch where he dropped four out of five showings and was teetering on the edge of unemployment to a blistering tear, where he’s collected five consecutive victories inside the Octagon.
His most recent showing resulted in an impressive second round stoppage victory over the talented, young Canadian Jordan Mein at UFC on Fox 7 in April. The win put Brown on the doorstep of the upper-tier in the ultra-competitive welterweight division. A victory over Pyle would certainly plant him on the title radar going forward.
That being said, should Brown come up short against Pyle on Saturday night in Boston, it would be difficult to imagine the loss knocking him too far back on the divisional hierarchy. However, with the depth of talent on the 170-pound roster, it would certainly require a few more additional steps before he regained his current status.
The circumstances are similar where Pyle is concerned. The 37-year-old Tennessee native has put together an impressive four-fight winning streak and has been successful in seven of his last eight showings inside the Octagon. “Quicksand’s” only setback on this run came against Rory MacDonald at UFC 133 in August 2011, and Pyle has been on a tear ever since.
The fight with Brown will provide Pyle the chance to break into the top 10 of the division, a status long sought by the Las Vegas-based fighter. Yet, if he comes out on the business end of the tilt with the scrappy Midwesterner, it would knock Pyle out of that particular picture for the foreseeable future.
The title picture in the bantamweight division may be currently out of sorts, with the division having two belt holders, but the race for future title contention is certainly heating up.
Two fighters that are looking to jockey themselves into championship opportunities will collide at UFC Fight Night 26 when Brad Pickett squares-off with recent title challenger Michael McDonald.
“One Punch” has been on an impressive run. The heavy-handed Brit has collected victories in three of his last four outings. His most recent showing resulted in a split-decision victory over Mike Easton at UFC on Fuel TV 9 in April and has Pickett charging toward the top of the division. A victory over the 22-year-old Californian would go a long way to show that the Englishman deserves to be in the title conversation at 135-pounds.
Where Pickett is looking to break onto the championship radar, McDonald is eager to get back. The talented young knockout artist suffered his first loss in nearly four years when he was submitted by interim champion RenanBarao at UFC on Fuel TV 7 in February.
“Mayday” is considered by many to be the future of the bantamweight division, and a victory over Pickett would keep that notion in tact. On the other hand, if McDonald suffers his second consecutive defeat this weekend in Boston, his place in the divisional picture will certainly be forced back a few notches.
The Buzz Will Either go Quiet or Amplify in Boston
In the world of MMA, hype can be a difficult thing to carry. In the cases of highly-touted prospects Uriah Hall and ConorMcGregor, we get to see how two fighters handle the matter in two entirely different fashions.
After being labeled the “TUF Beast” for the hospital stays he handed out to the opposition on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Hall came into the show’s finale with a tremendous amount of buzz and expectation. He would come up short in his bid for the six-figure contract against Kelvin Gastelum and become the target of criticism from every corner of the MMA community.
Going into his bout this weekend with John Howard, the New York native has shrugged off the pressures of expectation and refused to feed into the buzz that still surrounds him. Hall told UFC.com that he believes expectation only brings added pressure and it is something he doesn’t need.
While Hall may be avoiding the hype talk, McGregor wholeheartedly embraces it. The fast-talking Irishman has reveled in the spotlight he’s received since knocking out Marcus Brimage in his Octagon debut at UFC on Fuel TV 9 in April, and he is looking to get on the fast track to title contention in the featherweight division.
McGregor has made no secret that he has every intention of becoming a certified superstar in the MMA realm and thrives off the expectation surrounding him as he prepares to face off with Max Holloway on Saturday night.
That being said, when a fighter draws attention to his profile outside of the cage, it is absolutely necessary that he backs it up when the cage door closes. Both Hall and McGregor will have the eyes of the MMA world fixed on their performances this weekend at UFC Fight Night 26, and where victories will legitimize the buzz surrounding them, defeat will bring a considerable backlash.
Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne are set to meet this Saturday at the inaugural UFC on Fox Sports 1 fight card. The matchup is between the No. 5-ranked and No. 8-ranked heavyweight respectively.
The winner will move in to title contention, and that i…
Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne are set to meet this Saturday at the inaugural UFC on Fox Sports 1 fight card. The matchup is between the No. 5-ranked and No. 8-ranked heavyweight respectively.
The winner will move in to title contention, and that is a big reason why this fight is the co-main event of the evening.
Travis Browne rebounded from his only professional loss, to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, with an impressive KO over Gabriel Gonzaga at The Ultimate Fighter 17 finale. The win moved his record to 14-1-1, and garnered him the Knockout of the Night bonus.
Overeem will be returning to action for the first time since his loss to Silva at UFC 156. This is his chance to lay claim to a title shot with an impressive win.
With a lot riding on this fight, each man will look to throw heavy leather in order to win by KO. Here is your breakdown of the big heavyweight showdown.
If you ask me to point to a fighter whose potential far exceeds his accomplishment the first name off of my tongue would be that of Alistair Overeem. That might take some by surprise because The Demolition Man’s list of accomplishments already dwarfs m…
If you ask me to point to a fighter whose potential far exceeds his accomplishment the first name off of my tongue would be that of Alistair Overeem. That might take some by surprise because The Demolition Man’s list of accomplishments already dwarfs most competitors on the MMA scene past and present.
Holding the Dream and Strikeforce heavyweight titles as well as the K-1 Grand Prix 2010 title—the most sought after prize in kickboxing—Overeem might well make a case for most accomplished all around heavyweight in combat sports already.
Another more cynical way to look at it is that Overeem’s MMA belts are from second rate organisations which lacked the depth of roster to even be dishing out belts to begin with. The Dream belt was pretty much created on Overeem’s say-so anyway—it carries little to no meaning—and the Strikeforce belt was won from Paul Buentello long before Strikeforce bankrupted itself by stocking up on elite heavyweight talent.
Despite fighting in PRIDE and the UFC during their peak years, Overeem has been unable to win a belt in either. In PRIDE he was a gangly, inexperienced light heavyweight who often looked exhausted by the end of the first round due to his grueling weight cut—but his failure to win a belt at heavyweight in the UFC is by far the more surprising fact.
As a light heavyweight Overeem was simply a gangly and unorthodox fighter who ran in with jumping knees and nice trips from the clinch. It was his transformation into elite heavyweight which brought with it a significantly improved striking game.
The majority of vitriol directed at Overeem by fans, fighters and even pundits stems from his rapid weight gain. But steroids, horse meat or magic—none can explain away his revolutionary improvement on a technical level.
Every time Overeem loses, those who dislike him for his weight gain and arrogance will clamor to tell anyone who will listen about how Overeem has been exposed. The truth is that Overeem hasn’t been exposed as anything but lazy and arrogant.
You will remember from the Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva bout that Overeem basically had his way with Silva on the feet and in the clinch—showing good head movement which is not something he is traditionally known for. Unfortunately, the constant bobbing and ducking eventually got him caught with an uppercut and later a right straight as he ducked again.
This, it could be conceded, is a flaw which has gotten Overeem into trouble once before. Remy Bonjasky dropped Overeem in K-1 with exactly the same short-right straight as Overeem bent forward too soon in anticipation of a punch and had nowhere to go. Bobbing and weaving just isn’t Overeem’s strong suit and it’s daft for him to go to it just to prove a point.
Then rumors abounded again about Alistair Overeem’s weak chin. Though, I feel if you can use a near 300-pound giant hitting a fighter square in the jaw as he ducks into it as proof of a weak chin, I think we won’t have many tough fighters left.
Overeem has every skill he needs: elite grappling, elite kickboxing, a devastating clinch and some of the best ground and pound in heavyweight history—yet he stumbled at the last hurdle.
It is not that Overeem cannot fight smart—he realized that he is a good grappler but he ruthlessly stuck to striking against Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar. Yet Overeem is prone to overestimating himself at times. Yes his grappling is fantastic—this is a guy who won the European ADCC trials with a streak of guillotine submissions—but in PRIDE he actively sought to grapple with Fabricio Werdum in their first meeting.
He did magnificently and impressed everyone present by rag-dolling the Jiu Jitsu master… until he got tired proving his point and was submitted by the man who has been grappling the truly elite his entire career.
The exact same thing happened against Bigfoot. Bigfoot is truly flawed as a fighter—he is a crushing top player but can’t wrestle well enough to get there, and he has a huge punch but not much skill on the feet.
Overeem could have brutalized Bigfoot in the clinch or bludgeoned him with kicks and heavy punches. Instead, he chose to dance around, slip punches with no guard up to protect himself and generally try to prove through unnecessary means the end which we all already knew—that he was a better fighter than Bigfoot.
This brings me to the sad conclusion about Alistair Overeem. He should be able to beat just about everyone who is put in front of him, but he probably won’t. If he did match up against Dos Santos—as we have all wanted for so long—I would put money on him being able to hang decently on the feet with Dos Santos.
I would also expect Overeem to completely avoid moving to the clinch, working his trips or doing work in any of the areas in which he has an advantage.
The simple question, “Would Overeem box Dos Santos?” should amply sum up the situation which Overeem is in.
Overeem went on an incredible run and was well on his way to becoming the most accomplished mixed martial artist to date, but he started buying into his own hype and forgot that at this level of the game you must do what your opponent can’t and avoid what they can.
Perhaps the loss to Bigfoot will be enough to bring back the Overeem who grappled Cro Cop and struck Lesnar and Werdum, perhaps it will just encourage him to prove his worth in foolish ways even more.
I shall watch his bout with the dangerous Travis Browne with anticipation and excitement—and I am sure you will all too.
Pick up Jack’s eBooksAdvanced Striking and Elementary Striking from his blog, Fights Gone By.
With this weekend’s Fox Sports 1 launch, the UFC wanted to kick things off in a major way, and the table is set for the promotion to do just that.