UFC 141 Preview

Time to see two of the sport’s most gargantuan fighters butt heads for the right to fight for the heavyweight belt. Let’s cut to the chase and make a pick for Brock Lesnar versus Alistair Overeem plus some other intriguing fights on the UFC 141 card, which goes down this Friday night.

Heavyweight: Brock Lesnar (5-2) vs. Alistair Overeem (35-11, 1 NC)

There’s a ton on the line when Lesnar and Overeem clash. The winner earns No. 1 contender status and will face Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight strap later in 2012.

The pick: Brock Lesnar. I realize this is an unpopular pick. Most pundits have pointed to Overeem’s vast experience as the edge in this matchup. They’ve also suggested that Lesnar, who doesn’t like to get hit, has never faced a striker who hits like Overeem. Sure, “The Reem” may be the most technically proficient striker to battle Lesnar, but doesn’t Shane Carwin hit as hard? Overeem has great submissions, but so does Frank Mir, and Lesnar improved his submission defense immensely after losing to Mir the first time.

On the flip side, I genuinely believe Overeem has never faced someone like Lesnar. He’s never entered the cage with a heavyweight as fast and powerful. I do believe Lesnar will take Overeem down , beat him up, and secure the win. It won’t be easy, and Lesnar won’t escape the bout unscathed, but I think he’ll give the Dutchman a rude awakening.

Lightweight: Nate Diaz (14-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (17-3, 1 NC)

Don’t sleep on this bout, which is a real fight of the night candidate. The winner of Diaz and Cerrone should become, at worst, a top-five contender at 155.

The pick: Donald Cerrone. I realize Diaz looked better than ever in his last outing, a total destruction of Takanori Gomi. But Cerrone is a different beast. He’s underrated and versatile on his feet, he’s great on the ground and he has tremendous cardio. These two fighters are pretty similar – but I like Cerrone’s heart and slight strength advantage to be the difference.

Welterweight: Jon Fitch (23-3-1, 1 NC) vs. Johnny Hendricks (11-1)

Jon Fitch returns from shoulder surgery to battle a fellow wrestler in an important welterweight fight.

The pick: Johnny Hendricks. I’m calling the upset! I don’t think I’ve ever picked against Fitch in a bout that wasn’t against Georges St-Pierre, but I see two potential problems for Fitch in this matchup: ring rust and overconfidence. Fitch’s body may not respond like it usually does after a 10-plus months off and I wonder if he’ll underestimate Hendricks, especially in the standup game. Hendricks has knocked out some decent UFC fighters, like Amir Sadollah and Charlie Brenneman. He also can nullify Fitch’s usual grappling advantage, as he’s an NCAA Division-I wrestler himself (not to mention a black belt in BJJ). Look for Hendricks to shock the world and establish himself as a legit 170-pound contender.

Tags: , , ,

Gallery