With the pair man-mountains really wanting a shot at the UFC title it was unlikely this match would go the scheduled five rounds. Test, indeed, for Overeem on his opening bow into the UFC but the Dutch striker has arrived on another leading fight platform the UFC, and arrived with a bang. It was hard to see the contest going beyond a couple of rounds.

There was more than a win at stake - for the winner, UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos awaits, and now he will face Alistair Overeem sometime early in 2012.


SOME INFO ABOUT THE MAIN EVENT:

Four of Lesnar's five career wins have come via KO or submission, while this is the fifth time Lesnar has fought in the UFC's main event, in his seventh UFC fight overall (5-2). Staggering, really, given the paucity of experience he has in MMA. Lesnar was slated to fight in May 2011 against dos Santos, but bowed out after requiring surgery from complications arising from diverticulitis. Every Lesnar fight in the UFC is a major event. In the greatest-selling PPV shows in UFC History, the Minnesotan man-mountain has been involved in three of the top five:

GREATEST UFC PPVs IN HISTORY
UFC 100: Lesnar vs Mir 2 1.60M
UFC 116: Lesnar vs Carwin 1.16M
UFC 66: Liddell vs Ortiz 2 1.05M
UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans 1.05M
UFC 121: Lesnar vs Velasquez 1.05M

Overeem will make his UFC debut. Overeem is the former DREAM and Strikeforce heavyweight champion, who had a brilliant year in 2010, also winning the K1 Grand Prix title. His accolades have earned him the right to be regarded as one of the very leading MMA strikers in the world.

A former light heavyweight, Overeem has found success since moving to heavyweight full-time, posting an 11-1 mark. The winner of the five-round bout is expected to face current UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

But can Overeem avoid the same fate as the likes of Frank Mir, Shane Carwin… ?

Overeem told The Telegraph leading up to this fight: "Lesnar is a dangerous guy – he's the leading wrestler in MMA today, in my book. I'm the leading striker, and I have what it takes to beat him. The UFC gave me the option of fighting for the title straightaway, but I wanted to stay active. I'm happy I have this fight. Junior dos Santos is a very dangerous fighter, with dangerous hands, but I believe I will beat him too."

Tale of the Tape
Lesnar Overeem
W-L 5-2 35-11
Age 34 31
Height 6'3" 6'5"
Reach 81" 81.5"
Style Wrestling Vs Kickboxing