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| Lesnar vs Overeem |
The main card will begin with a featherweight match between veteran Nam Phan and one of the most promising division, Jimy Hettes. Phan is characterized by open fighting style and virtually no strategy, which is spectacular but it ends up costing almost as many defeats as victories gets. Hettes is a young fighter who is still undefeated. Its nine professional fights won by submission of, and gradually emerges as a future contender for the division title. I guess the idea of facing Phan is to see how it operates before a veteran fighter opposite style, but I see no reason to think they can see their winning streak cut.
The next fight will face the veteran Vladimir Matyushenko with Swede Alexander Gustafsson in the division of the semi-complete. Matyushenko is a legend of MMA at 40 years, and still maintains a strong competitive edge, having accumulated a 13-2 record over the past six years, with defeats at the hands of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Jon Jones. The Belarusian is an orthodox fighter style that combines wrestling and boxing in style, so I think that their best chance in this fight will be looking to go to the floor, where it has advantage over the Swede, who is a powerful striker with a decent defense against the demolition and soil. If Gustafsson manages to keep the fight standing I think the battle may end prematurely, but in one way or another should be a very good fight. I am inclined to think that the difference in ages will be decisive and will play for the Swedish.
Jon Fitch is back in a main card that left the Octagon for over nine months, and for their back face Johny Hendricks. Fitch is considered for years as one of the best fighters in the welterweight division, but their lack of connection with the public and their constant tendency to prolong the fighting until the decision they have missed opportunities in the UFC. Meanwhile Hendricks is a fighter who has been climbing in the organization, so this meeting could be decisive for the aspirations of both fighters. They like to control the fight, so I expect a long fight with little chance of finishing before the cards. I tend to itch for his superior ground game and experience.
The semifinal match of the night looks to be the most entertaining of the function, as well as Donald Cerrone Nate Diaz is characterized by its aggressiveness and willingness to end their fighting. Diaz has a couple of years uncertain about the division in which it competes, frequently resorting to cut weight prior to weighing to give the light lilita. I believe that this strategy can cost you in the face of one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, as Cerrone is enrachado since it was absorbed along with the rest of WEC in the ranks of UFC. Both are specialists in submissions with a pretty decent stand-up technique. However, I think Cerrone is a more complete fighter and should be able to take advantage of natural attrition that comes with cutting weight. I think the cowboy domará to the lesser of Diaz.
Finally, the main event of the evening will be one of the most anticipated games for fans of MMA, when Alistair Overeem made his debut in UFC Brock Lesnar facing. Overeem has been one of the most dominant heavyweights outside the UFC, and has long been speculated about the possibility that came to this organization. Apparently the biggest impediment for this to happen was the policy of payments handled by Golden Glory, the team that represented him, and that it was successful because the Strikeforce fighter was cut by a few months ago. Now the situation has changed, Overeem fight for Xtreme Couture, and everything is ready for the famous Demolition Man makes his UFC debut.
Overeem is a powerful striker can knock out anyone quickly, even if one can argue that their opponents have not always been first rate. Its success standing fighting makes many forget that, with all its limitations, the powerful Dutch fighter is able to run quite effective submissions and will need to do their best to face Lesnar. For his part, Lesnar has lived a real roller coaster in the UFC, having to deal with recurrent disease who have moved away from Octagon twice already, but when has enjoyed perfect health is hard to argue against its status as one of the main fighters in the division of the whole.
Lesnar is so big and strong like Overeem, and already proven it can withstand punishment, as he did against Shane Carwin. With each bout as Lesnar looks more complete MMA fighter, and certainly will be interesting to see what kind of strategy seeks to address a fighter faster and more athletic than him, which was crucial when he lost the championship to Cain Velasquez. My theory is that Brock will try to take her fight as soon as possible to the ground, where his skill as a fighter gives him an advantage, but I know that both can have success with it.
I think Overeem is a fighter much more limited, but their power of Muay Thai and excellent grips may be enough to get a win tonight. The best hope for Lesnar to get ahead is to be able to control the pace of the fight and make it possible to lengthen. If successful, I think Overeem quickly become desperate and become careless with their attacks. Any mistakes in these conditions is likely to be used by Lesnar to end the fight. It will be a great battle with the potential to bend either, but I think it is the Dutchman who get the victory.
The transmission will start in Latin America from the 21 hours, time in Mexico, Fox Sports, but I recommend keeping up with local programming to avoid disappointment.
