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UFC 141: Could an Alistair Overeem Loss Set Up a Fedor vs. Overeem Showdown?

After kickboxing and fighting in various organizations of mixed martial arts over the course of his career, Alistair Overeem signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship earlier this year.In result, Overeem was immediately thrown in with the wolves o…

After kickboxing and fighting in various organizations of mixed martial arts over the course of his career, Alistair Overeem signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship earlier this year.

In result, Overeem was immediately thrown in with the wolves of the heavyweight division as he’ll square off with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.

UFC 141 will take place on December 30th, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. beginning at 7 p.m. PT and 10 p.m. ET.

Overeem is the favorite heading into the main event of the evening at UFC 141 as he holds a significant advantage in the stand-up.

However, Lesnar is a former UFC heavyweight champion and won’t go down as easy.

As expected, Lesnar will enter in on Overeem at some point throughout the first round, looking for the double-leg takedown.

If Lesnar can successfully put Overeem on his back, it’ll be extremely difficult for the UFC newcomer to escape which could ultimately lead to Lesnar’s first win in over a year.

An Overeem loss could bring about many questions for the highly-hyped heavyweight.

Could it mean Overeem was never really that good to begin with?

Or, did the Octagon jitters get to the England-born slugger?

But, the biggest question that could await an Overeem loss would be, who is next?

And, who better to answer that question with than Fedor Emelianenko.

An Overeem loss at UFC 141 will put “The Reem” in an awful familiar situation to that of Fedor and will prove he’s not capable of competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts.

Fedor, who once dominated the sport of MMA for nearly 10 years, has recently fallen from his throne as he’s lost three of his last four fights.

Even in his recent win over Jeff Monson, Fedor wasn’t able to finish his opponent as he was declared victorious via unanimous decision.

Therefore, with two fallen and over-hyped heavyweights, what better than a 265-pound showdown for a winner-leave-town type of fight?

While certainly things would have to fall into place, could we see a Fedor vs. Overeem clash with an Overeem loss at UFC 141?

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

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UFC 141: Jon Fitch and Jake Shields Predict Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem

UFC 141 is just a few days away, and the main event between former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has the MMA world buzzing with anticipation.Lesnar will enter the bout after extensive…

Lesnar will enter the bout after extensive time away from the cage due to diverticulitis. His last fight was against Cain Velasquez, who he lost the title to after being stopped in the very first round. It was his third title defense.

Overeem was last seen defeating Fabricio Werdum in a June rematch. He is currently riding a 10-fight win streak and will be making his UFC debut.

The winner will be the No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight championship, which is currently being held by power-punching Brazilian, Junior dos Santos.

This video features predictions for the main event from the best of the UFC’s fighters and trainers, including Jon Fitch, Mark Munoz, Jake Shields and Matt Hume.

The pay-per-view event will go down on Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Other main card matchups include Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks, Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustafsson and Nam Phan vs. Jimy Hettes.

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UFC 141: Vladimir Matyushenko Sits Down for an Exclusive Interview

For almost as long as Vladimir Matyushenko can remember, he has dreamt of making his living as a martial artist. At age 10, Matyushenko, who was born and raised in Belarus, first tried his hand at wrestling. From there, it didn’t take long for Ma…

For almost as long as Vladimir Matyushenko can remember, he has dreamt of making his living as a martial artist.

At age 10, Matyushenko, who was born and raised in Belarus, first tried his hand at wrestling.

From there, it didn’t take long for Matyushenko to fall in love with the sport.

In the world of amateur wrestling, Matyushenko not only found an outlet for his energy and something he was truly passionate about, but also a means to experience life beyond Belarus.

Inspired by the liberty that North America offered, elements of the continent’s popular culture and his adventurous spirit, Matyushenko crossed the Atlantic Ocean and made California his new home in his mid-20s.

“I had no idea what I was going to do (when I came to America),” Matyushenko, 40, recently explained to Bleacher Report. “Wrestling didn’t pay much, because I didn’t have the credentials—although I did graduate from college, eventually—to go and coach. I did dishwashing, cleaning, lumberjacking, construction—everything just to survive and pay my bills.”

At 26, Matyushenko—in perhaps one of the few jobs he had yet to try at that point—first tried his hand at mixed martial arts.

“I saw a few of the first UFCs, with (Ken) Shamrock and Royce Gracie, and I thought that I could do it,” Matyushenko, a long-time wrestling instructor, recounted. “When I had the opportunity, I did it.

“I didn’t know much about grappling—I knew a bit about the chokes and the striking—but my spirit was there and I did it.”

Matyushenko’s first foray in the sport was a single-evening tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in September of 1997. Despite his inexperience, Matyushenko claimed submission victories over Vernon White, Robert Lalonde and Anthony Macias en route to winning the tournament.

According to Matyushenko, it didn’t take long to realize that he could potentially excel as a mixed martial artist.

After more than a decade in the sport, in which he has contested 10 bouts in the Octagon, fought for a UFC championship and gained the respect of fans the world over, the light-heavyweight contender appreciates being called a pioneer of the sport.

“I would say (I’m a pioneer of the sport),” Matyushenko, who has fought in Canada, Germany, Japan and the United States, said with a chuckle. “I’m one of the oldest guys left. I like when people call me that.”

Although Matyushenko is happy with what he’s been able to accomplish on the canvas so far, the former IFL star isn’t done with the sport just yet.

On December 30th, Matyushenko, who has registered 14 victories in his past 16 outings, is to square off against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 141 in Las Vegas.

Regardless of the outcome of his upcoming contest (“you always plan to win,” he said with a laugh), Matyushenko emphasized that he has plans to compete in the sport in the coming year and, perhaps, beyond.

“I think 2012 is going to be a good year,” Matyushenko offered. “People ask me how much longer I’d like to fight, but I really don’t know—I really can’t say.”

When he does walk away from professional competition, Matyushenko won’t be traveling too far from the cage. The man they call “The Janitor,” who owns a martial arts academy in California, intends on continuing his coaching career.

Three decades after first trying his hand at wrestling, these days Matyushenko can’t help but reflect on how important the influence of athletics has been in his life.

“That’s what built me and made me who I am,” explained Matyushenko, who was married in 2011. “I have no idea (where I would be without athletics). I am so, so glad that I did it. It’s taught me so much.

“It created me and developed me as a person.”

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Brock Lesnar on Alistair Overeem: "I Don’t Care Where His Career Has Been"

Although he might have surrendered the UFC heavyweight title just a year ago, Brock Lesnar still believes he is as dominant as before. Lesnar returns to the Octagon this weekend after being diagnosed with diverticulitis, which had kept him out for…

Although he might have surrendered the UFC heavyweight title just a year ago, Brock Lesnar still believes he is as dominant as before.

Lesnar returns to the Octagon this weekend after being diagnosed with diverticulitis, which had kept him out for most of the year, when he meets Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

Overeem has certainly made his presence felt in mixed martial arts, but he is relatively unknown to most UFC fans. The Dutch striker will make his debut against Lesnar, intending on challenging for the UFC heavyweight crown.

Overeem’s muscular 255-pound frame certainly provides a challenge to Lesnar, and it has contributed to Overeem’s 11-fight winning streak.

But Lesnar isn’t intimidated at all.

“I’ve got this fight against Alistair (Overeem), and this guy is not gonna stand in my way,” Lesnar said in a UFC 141 pre-fight interview. “I don’t care how many fights he’s had and I don’t care where his career’s been, when the door shuts and it’s time to go, he’ll know really quickly that he’s got a fight on his hands.”

The winner of Lesnar and Overeem is expected to face UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

UFC 141 is scheduled this weekend, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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Why UFC 141 Is Different than Other End of the Year Shows

UFC 141 is coming up fast, and will close out the 2011 year for MMA and the UFC.The 2010 year left off with Welterweight title fight—Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck at UFC 124, to be followed by the Lightweight Championship match of Frankie E…

UFC 141 is coming up fast, and will close out the 2011 year for MMA and the UFC.

The 2010 year left off with Welterweight title fight—Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck at UFC 124, to be followed by the Lightweight Championship match of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard on New Year’s Day.

Now we have come to the end of this year, and are ready to finish it strong, as well.

The reason for mentioning the 2010 closeout is that 2011 is a special circumstance in UFC’s history. Every year that the UFC has been in existence, the last show they put on each year has had either a title, or an interim title on the line.

Most of the events showcase a championship bout to close out the year. This included the tournament styles of early UFC’s as well, but it is very interesting that each and every year a belt is on the line to end it.

This year, 2011 will be the first in UFC history to not end with a title match.

UFC 141 brings to the fans two humongous heavyweights that are very well-known and popular in their own worlds. Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will go toe-to-toe in the Octagon this Friday.

They are two of the biggest and strongest fighters in the UFC, and in the MMA world. They will fight to determine the next challenger for the UFC Heavyweight title against current champ Junior Dos Santos.

The card itself is a new change as a whole, as well. The main fight is not a championship bout, and the time of the event has been moved back to the original 10 PM EST from its previous 9 PM EST.

To top it off, while PPV events are always on Saturday nights, UFC 141 will be happening on this Friday night.

While hosting the first non-title end-of-year fight card, UFC 141 does bring the next best thing. The event’s main card boasts three different fights that will help determine the number one contenders in their respective weight classes.

To start, you have the aforementioned Lesnar vs. Overeem, a heavyweight matchup that will determine the next man to take on JDS.

Brock will be looking to get back into the division strong after his sickness layoff, and Overeem will be trying to prove himself amongst the ranks of UFC HW’s. This fight has huge implications.

Second, is the co-main event—Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone.

Cerrone has been on a tear through the lightweight division since he came over from the WEC and is proving he is at the top of the heap. While champ Frankie Edgar is defending his belt against Benson Henderson, Donald will look to make a statement for being next in line.

If he can beat Diaz, he will move on to six wins in a row. If he finishes him dominantly, he could be given the next shot.

Lastly, there is a welterweight matchup between Jon Fitch, and Johny Hendricks.

Hendricks is running on two wins in a row, whereas Fitch has five, not including his recent Draw. Currently 23-3, he will be looking to prove that his name belongs in the deserving title shot talks. Constantly underwritten due to his seemingly boring style, a definitive win over Hendricks would do wonders for his career right now.

All in all, UFC 141 is stacked to be a good night of fights, headlined by the big showdown of the titan heavyweights. No belts are on the line, but all are in situations as if they were, and should fight accordingly.

Come 2012, title contentions should start to thin out, but with this sport, you never know what will happen.

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UFC 141 Fight Card: 10 Reasons You Can’t Miss This Event

This Friday, the UFC will bring a stacked event to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as a heavyweight blockbuster battle will take place, pitting former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem against former UFC champion Brock Lesnar in the main ev…

Though both men are likely garnering the most attention come fight time, there are a number of notable fighters and battles that will take place in just a few days time.

UFC 141 is the organization’s year-end event, and here are 10 reasons why you shouldn’t miss it.

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