Now that the dust has settled after yet another New Years, it's time to discuss the elephant in the room, the beard bet. Last Friday, as expected (by me and other rational thinkers), Alistair Overeem toppled the often over-hyped Brock Lesnar. In classic form, Alistair worked the body with amazing results, crumbling the giant with a liver kick that had Bas Rutten jumping for joy. I too was jumping for joy for I had just won the first ever It’s MMAzing Beard Bet. As explained just over a week ago, I bet Doctor Law that if Lesnar won, I would shave my beard and vice versa. Now it's time to settle the score.
While it's nice that I won the bet and Doctor Law has to shave his beard, what's even better is seeing a fighter go from living in the shadow of his brother to a house hold name. Thanks to Brock, a whole new fan base knows who Alistair is. Overeem still has a long road ahead of him, but getting that first UFC win is a big step. I think Dos Santos is going to be a challenging match-up, but hopefully I won't read any comments on the internet saying "It's Dos Santos versus some guy."
What I found most shocking last Friday wasn't that Alistair won or that Lesnar quit MMA. It was that no other member of the It’s MMAzing staff picked Alistair. Where's the love for the Reem? Brock is a scary individual, sure, but he's also a guy that never really found his place in the world. Jumping around from amateur to pro wrestling to NFL and now the MMA, he was always great, but never the greatest. He won NCAA championships but never went to the Olympics. He was a WWE Superstar, but never the most marketable guy. I guess he was on the Vikings for a minute too. While he was easily the biggest draw for American MMA fans, he was never the greatest MMA fighter. Alistair, on the other hand, has found his place in the world: being a heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter. I wish Lesnar all the best in whatever he chooses to do next with his life and I hope he continues to live a healthy and fulfilling life (I'm sure the wildlife living in Minnesota disagrees). For Doctor Law, however, it's time to shave his beard.
Sidenote, in a funny turn of events I was forced to shave my beard as well. A new Skynet beard trimmer I've received for Christmas thought I'd look better with a stubble then a full beautiful beard. While I lost my beard due to a mixture of incompetence and poor technology, I'd gladly shave my beard every time if it meant seeing one of my all-time favorite fighters prove to the world that he belongs in the biggest promotion, against the best competition. Much love Alistair; thanks for proving a brother right when he put his beard on the line.... even if I ended up having to shave it off.
After the jump, the most recent episode of "The Reem" which leads right up to the fight.
Hope everyone had an awesome New Year's Eve celebration, and cheers to making this last year on earth a good one. Kid Presentable here with a NYE hangover delayed edition of Post Fight Thoughts and Analysis. UFC 141 wrapped up the UFC's final event of the year, and boy did it create some major waves for the future of several divisions. A new heavyweight contender was crowned, while the long time #2 welterweight fell in spectacular fashion, and a new brash, middle-finger waving contender stepped out of his brother's shadow and into his own lime light.
Alistair Overeem's knees are straight deadly. Sagat would be proud. Reem was touted and billed to be the best striker in the heavyweight division, and it showed that he has fight ending power in every limb. From knees that took the life right out of Brock, to a body kick that made it a short night, Reem is a very bad, bad, dude.
This now sets up for a very intriguing stand up war of the best boxer in the division with the best kickboxer. When two men with the proven fight finishing power of Reem and Junior Dos Santos collide, another first round finish is likely to follow.
Talking to Doctor Law post fight, I called it, this is the end of the era of Brock Lesnar. As someone incredibly polarizing to MMA fans, how his legacy will be viewed will be the subject of great argument and shall range from everything from career quitter to paradigm shifting game-changer. I see it as a man whose career while short, was always at the highest caliber of competition in the UFC, and became a champion with limited experience, and another in an endless list of athletes whose careers were cut tragically short or forever altered by ailments and injuries.
Oh yeah, goodbye to your beard Dr. Law. Time to look like you are 10 years younger again.
Say what you want about their personalities, Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz will always come to fight. An epic was expected, and an epic was delivered. While more one-sided than most would have expected, the action was constant as these are two men incapable of fighting stalling or fighting safe.
Nate has taken one more step toward showing he might be every bit as talented as his older brother. While he doesn't yet possess the fight-ending ability from his striking that Nick has shown, his pace and accuracy was off the charts against Cerrone.
Mr. Jon Fitch, where are you gonna go from here? The silver-medal kingpin has finally fallen after years of being at the top, but just not quite good enough to be champ (see also Kenny Florian). Not a fan favorite, or a boss favorite, does Fitch toil away in the undercard grinding his way to decisions? Or will he reinvent himself as a more aggressive grappler seeking submissions and the finish? Time will tell, but this one of the biggest game-changers in the division just behind the injury of GSP.
Where does this leave Mr. Hendricks now? A man with one career loss to fellow grinder Rick Story now gets one of the biggest wins anyone has in the division and is likely to be vaulted up getting a top 10 opponent and making for a possible #1 contender in 2012.
Alexander Gustafsson proved his hype finishing the Janitor with a first round TKO. The Mauler still has a way to go with his grappling as he was handled by Phil Davis, but with his size, range, and boxing, may offer an intriguing future contender to Jon Jones' iron throne.
Apologies to Mr. Jimy Hettes, the It's MMAzing staff admittedly knew little to nothing about you, and you straight classed Nam Phan. Merc'ing, schooling, handling... all of the above. Someone better be promoting "The Kid" up from his purple belt.
Doctor Law: It’s finally here folks. One of the biggest battles in history…my beard against DJ Mark’s beard. Oh, there is also a cage fight between two gorillas taking place. Let’s not beat around the bush people, this is a grappler against a striker. Sure, Brock would tell you about how he was able to drop Randy Couture and Heath Herring and Alistair would surely tell you about his submission victory over BJJ black belt Vitor Belfort. Good for them. That doesn’t change the fact that Brock turtles up when he gets hit hard and Alistair hasn’t fought anybody who can wrestle in God knows how long. We are going to know the outcome of this fight within the first 2 minutes. If Brock gets him down, he wins. If he can’t, I lose my beard. I’m an optimist. Lesnar by 1st round TKO.
Kid Presentable: Finally, the colossuses collide. In the lead up to this fight, the primary story has been that Brock Lesnar cannot take a punch. It is a slight misconception as he certainly can take the punch, he just might not react well to them. Even so, it is a bit of an overstatement as he has also previously eaten a gigantic knee from Frank Mir only to take him down and grind him to mulch. The Reem certainly offers up the most dangerous standing threat in the division, but my gut is telling me that he is going to drop this one. The combination of guys making their octagon debut, and those who spent the majority of their careers in Japan, has left a lot to be desired performance wise. Reem will be taken down and the fact that he gassed against a guy who pulled guard for an entire fight leads me to think Brock is going to go Hulk Smash on Reem. Sure, Cain got up from Lesnar's takedown, but Reem doesn't have that kind of wrestling. Brock Lesnar by 1st round ground and pound TKO.
DJ Mark with a “K”: Well if you’ve been visiting the site with any regularity you’ll already know who I’m picking for this one. While I think Brock is a hell of an athlete and has a chance to perform a mild upset, I just don’t think he has want it takes to beat a battle tested veteran like Alistair. Brock has to get the fight to the mat and be on top, that’s the only place he can win this fight. While on the feet (clinch or otherwise) Alistair holds the advantage and I don’t think Brock has much to offer off his back. However, with guys this big and talented it really is a tossup. Either way, someone’s going to get hurt. Alistair by TKO round 1.
Lavender Gooms: BEARD BET!!!!!! Besides the Slap Bet, it’s the ultimate kind of bet. Sadly, because of my ability to grow facial hair like a 13 year old boy, I will never take place in this bet of kings. We can only dream…Well back to the fight! Classic style match-up here. My prediction is based on the idea that Brock is completely healed from his last diverticulitis scare. The Reem can’t bully Brock around the cage like some of his previous opponents. Overeem has never fought a wrestler as good as Lesnar and has never been good against them in the first place. Lesnar is also bigger and stronger than him. Of course Brock has shown in the past that if he gets hit, he has a big tendency to cover up. I think the baddest man on the planet shows up for this fight though. No amount of “horse meat” is saving Overeem. Lesnar by TKO in the 3rd round.
Picking Lesnar: Dr. Law, Kid P, Gooms Picking Overeem: DJ Mark
Doctor Law: Now this is going to be a great fight. Two guys who are absolutely incapable of fighting safe. I was already excited for this fight and then the incident you see above you happened. You can’t really hear it, but according to Dana White, Cerrone told Diaz that he’s going to “get in that ass,” which sounds…unpleasant. My level of interest in this fight is pretty much at its maximum. I’m actually concerned that they are going to get in a fight at the weigh-ins and the athletic commission won’t let them fight on Friday. This is going to be a very close fight. Cerrone is a great technical kickboxer and Diaz boxes like his older brother. Both men are comfortable off their back, but Diaz has the edge in the grappling department. I’m going with Diaz because he hasn’t been finished in over 5 years and, more importantly, I like him more. Diaz by 3rd round submission after an epic battle.
Kid Presentable: Stylistically, this is possibly one of the most exciting fights the UFC may have ever put on. These guys will go to war on the feet and have the grappling credentials to put on a show on the ground. Cerrone and Benson Henderson put on a grappling heavy fight of the year candidate in 2010 which is amazing when you consider we live in a "boo after 10 seconds of inactivity" society. And who could forget Nate's double bird triangle submission salute? Donald and Nate are also two of the taller, lankier fighters in the division who will for the first time be fighting guys who can match each other's range. Cerrone has been on fire as of late and if it weren't for Jon Jones' demolition circuit, could have arguably been the fighter of the year. That said, 209 bitch! Nate took a massive leap forward in his last fight against Takanori Gomi, showing that he might finally be more than Nick's little brother. His boxing, pace, control, and aggression never looked better and I see the kid with the mean mug derailing the Cerrone train. Nate by 3rd round Submission.
DJ Mark with a “K”: This is also an amazing fight and could have easily been a main event for a Fuse or FX card. Both guys have looked really good as of late and both always have exciting performances. Much like the main event it’s easy to picture either of these guys walking away with the W. However, my money is on Diaz, I think his hands have started to look really good as of late and I think Nate is a little better on the ground. Nate by 3rd round Submission.
Lavender Gooms: Like I said in my post from yesterday, I am 100% sure this is going to be fight of the night. There is no way in hell these two don’t start whaling on each other from the opening bell. If Diaz is smart in this fight, he takes it to the ground and turns “Cowboy” into a pretzel. Most likely they will stand in the center of the cage and trade with each other. In a battle of whose chin is stronger, you never go against a Diaz. Cerrone breaks before Diaz does. Diaz by Submission in the 2nd round.
Picking Diaz: Dr. Law, Kid P, DJ Mark, Gooms Picking Cerrone:
Doctor Law: There is a pretty regular problem when you watch an entire fight card on the west coast (where almost all of the It’s MMAzing staff resides). When you watch all of the fights, it means you are watching cage fighting from 4pm to 9:30pm. You don’t know how long the gaps between fights will be so there is no real time for dinner. This problem doesn’t exist when Jon Fitch is fighting. You can carve out about 25 minutes between introductions and the 3 rounds that Fitch will be dry humping his opponent to go on a food run. Fitch is the most boring fighter in all of MMA. No reason to think he’s going to take any chances in this fight. Fitch by the most boring decision anybody has seen since the last time Fitch fought.
Kid Presentable: Mr. Hendricks has an impressive resume of wrestling credentials, several solid wins, and a lone blemish on his MMA record. Then again, Mr. Fitch is Mr. Fitch. Jon Fitch has essentially been the perpetual number two welterweight since the day Georges St. Pierre decided he wanted to fight in a cage. A man, who seemingly should have fought for the title multiple times, but hasn't because he got styled on so badly... now gets a chance to throw his name into a mix where there is no GSP for a year. Few combine striking to wrestling better than Fitch and even though Hendricks is the better credentialed wrestler, he is absolutely going to be taken down. The fact that he was grinded away by Rick Story, makes it seem like Fitch should have no problem. Additionally, if he should somehow read this... please finish the fight Jon. I want to be a fan of yours so bad. Funny YouTube videos, English bulldog, and a hot Asian wife…seriously Jon, we could be best friends. Fitch by decision. If by finish, we're new best bros.
DJ Mark with a “K”: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Fitch in person at a Strikeforce event earlier this year and I have to say he’s one of the nicest, coolest fighters I have met. However, his performances have left something to be desired. Fitch is a no risk fighter which is extremely smart to have longevity in this sport, but doesn’t do much to get people excited for your fights. I see Fitch winning this one by decision.
Lavender Gooms: So this is the fight when I decide to go get more beer from the store. I normally hate those fans who boo when the fight goes to the ground for even 3 seconds. I normally enjoy watching a fight where the majority of it is on the ground, but Fitch is the exception. I hate watching him fight. From the opening bell you know what’s coming. I bet if he was in a boxing match he would still shoot for a takedown. This boy does NOTHING else. Hendricks is a good wrestler, but Fitch is the master of looking menacing going into the cage and grinding out a decision. Coors light (that’s COORS LIGHT, cause Bud Light ain’t paying me nothin’) refilled by 2nd round. Fitch by Boredom at the end of 3 rounds.
Picking Fitch: Dr. Law, Kid P, DJ Mark, Gooms Picking Hendricks:
It’s MMAzing continues its preview of UFC 141. Up next, our take on Nate Diaz who takes on Donald Cerrone in the co-main event on December 30th.
Hands down my favorite athletes to root for aren’t the Tim Tebow types. Their “aw shucks” demeanor more often than not is just a front for the media (not in Tebow’s case, that dude is Jesus on the gridiron). My favorites are the types who it all out there and seem to truly dislike their opponents. So naturally I love the Diaz brothers.
Last February, my boys and I went to Vegas and I got to meet Nate Diaz at an autograph signing. Considering this is the guy who flipped off an opponent while in a triangle choke and I half expected to meet someone who would be mean mugging the whole time. Surprisingly, the dude was cool as hell; laughing at my jokes about how he whooped Marcus Davis and taking pictures with me and my people. I liked Nate Diaz before that day, that day made me a huge fan.
Although he has not yet reached his older brother’s level of fame, I feel Nate has a chance to become a bigger star than Nick. While he also possesses the “I don’t give a f*ck” attitude and a general contempt for anyone who is a potential opponent. Unlike his brother, he is more comfortable in front of the camera, and is more articulate in a post fight interview or in hyping a fight. He possesses the ability to “play the game” that UFC president Dana White loves to say Nick needs to at least do a little to become a star.
This Saturday he faces Donald Cerrone, who’s been a beast since coming over from the WEC, winning four times in 2011 alone. For both men, this is the biggest fight in their careers. This is the first co-main event match for either fighter, coming on a card that’s sure to have a lot of eyeballs watching with the main event featuring the immensely popular Brock Lesnar. A victory for either of these men will leave either of them at most a fight or two away from challenging for the belt.
“Cowboy” is one of the best strikers in the lightweight division and will no doubt be the best striker Diaz has faced in his career. Diaz is a far more advanced BJJ practitioner than Cerrone and has the advantage if it goes to the ground. Diaz displayed the best striking of his career in his last fight against Gomi, but I still have to give the edge in striking to Cerrone. However, there are two things in life that I’m certain of: it’s not wise to upset a Wookie and Diaz brothers have granite chins. Diaz likely will keep this fight standing to prove his striking is better than Cerrone’s so there is a 110% chance this will be Fight of the Night.
Also worth noting, I’m looking forward to see which one of these Grizzly Adams wannabes is going to lose their beards. I’ve seen Doctor Law without facial hair, it’s not a pretty sight. So naturally, I’m rooting for DJ Mark with a K.
Brock Lesnar takes on Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on December 30th. It’s MMAzing will be taking a deeper look at both of these fighters leading up to this epic battle of giants. We brought you Alistair Overeem earlier in the week, and now we introduce you to former UFC Heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar. Having grown up a pro wrestling fan like many of today's current MMA fans, I will always remember the day I heard about Brock Lesnar. Word on the street was there was this behemoth of a man, who was fast, agile, and could pull off a shooting star press as his finishing move. Think an inverted backflip off the top rope for those of you not familiar. Brock's stint in then WWF and now WWE would be short-lived, but not before he left his mark being this unstoppable monster. An attempt at defensive line for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL would follow before Brock had found his home in the world of MMA. Brock made his MMA debut in June of 2007 against unheralded Min-Soo Kim for Dynamite!! USA where he dispatched him rather easily by way of tapout due to strikes. For his next fight, Lesnar would debut in the UFC, and just three fight later be crowned the heavyweight champion of the reigning promotion in the sport. Brock's ascent up the sport was astronomical, something that had never been seen in the sport before. By far, Brock in an instant became must see tv, proving to be the UFC's biggest pay per view draw. You had a mountain of a man who spit on cameras, flipped off the fans, and pissed off the advertisers. Whether you loved him or hated him, you had to see what this guy was going to do next. Sure enough though for such a polarizing figure, the faster the rise, the harder the fall. Lesnar has been many thing and many names to people over the years. He was "The Next Big Thing," "The Silver Back," "The Modern Day Viking," and for a moment in time he was considered the baddest man on the planet, the freak athlete giant that was going to change the game. Supposedly, no longer could you be a heavyweight if you weren't cutting to the 265 limit. But then, diverticulitis set in for the Champ, as he was repeatedly sidelined by the ailment. Then he looked mortal in his fight against Shane Carwin, turtling up, and merely surviving a barrage of ground and pound from Carwin, before securing his win in the second round via arm triangle. Then came an utter obliteration by Cain Velasquez who dethroned Brock of the heavyweight crown. Suddenly Brock was no longer the monster, but the guy with no chin, the guy who can't take a punch, the guy who was fast tracked to the title and given an easy road. Those mantras are all non-sense however, because if Brock Lesnar was given anything, it was a baptism by fire. His first five UFC opponents consisted of Frank Mir, Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Shane Carwin, and Cain Velasquez. Many unfairly take credit away from a man where nothing but credit is due. I will not lie and say Brock is the invincible freight train we once thought he could be, as the luster and shine certainly has come off. And certainly, Alistair Overeem's greatest strength appears to reflect Brock's most obvious weakness. However, in Brock you will always have a man who has massive power and speed for the division, a D-1 national heavyweight champion crown to his name, and a resilient and tough sob. Through multiple bouts of diverticulitis, and surviving a barrage of likely the heaviest hands in the sport, maybe Brock does not react best to how you would like to see someone getting hit by sledgehammers, but no doubt can the man survive and persevere. Brock vs. Reem represents the time-tested MMA tale of the grappler vs the striker as a champion wrestler will battle with a champion kick boxer. Will Brock be able to withstand some of the best stand up in the division? Will he be able to take down and demolish via vicious ground and pound said foe? Soon enough we will know the answer to the question of is Brock the man we thought he was, or is he the subdued man we have known him to be as of late? It remains to be seen if Brock can climb the mountain he ascended so quickly once more, but there is no doubt he has the resiliency to get there.
Brock Lesnar takes on Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on December 30th. It’s MMAzing will be taking a deeper look at both of these fighters leading up to this epic battle of giants. Up first, we introduce you to the former Dream, Strikeforce and K1 Grand Prix champion, Alistair Overeem.
Alistair Overeem has been one of my favorite fighters for a long time. I was actually a big fan of his older (and less talented) brother, Valentijn, when he first made his Pride FC debut. There was just something about their style of fighting that just really drew me in. For Alistair, it was his crisp stand up and terrific work in the clinch. There's just something about getting wins from brutal, organ mashing knees to the body that just makes me smile. The guy always comes to fight and even when he loses, his fights are always entertaining.
Alistair's career has had its ups and downs. During his Pride run he could never get a consistent string of wins going his way and struggled early on in K-1. Losses to all time greats like Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Arona, Lil Nog and Werdum kept him from really breaking out in Pride. His first couple of fights in K-1 also resulted in losses. That being said, he also had some big wins as well. His run in the Middleweight 2005 GP saw him get a couple big submission wins over Victor Belfort and Igor Vovchanchyn with his go to submission, the guillotine choke. Also, his win over Kharitonov was impressive as he blasted him with wicked knees from the side mount. Since committing to becoming a heavyweight, however, Alistair has finally found his stride as a mixed martial artist.
Once Alistair made the decision to be a heavyweight, the dude started hitting the weights, hardcore. His physical transformation to the hulking beast he is today is astonishing. Many people believe that steroids played a part in his transformation since he often fought in Japan, where they don't drug test fighters. Personally, I always give guys the benefit of the doubt in till they fail a drug test. Regardless of how he got so big, the fact is that he's been almost unstoppable since permanently moving up to Heavyweight. With a solid run of wins in Dream (including an interim Heavyweight championship), capturing the K-1 Grand Prix in 2010 and winning/defending his Strikeforce championship, it appears that Alistair has finally reached his true potential.
Alistair has set up multiple goals for himself over the last couple of years and has been able to accomplish every single one so far. However, his next test will truly be his hardest. Entering the UFC and getting this organization’s belt will be the greatest challenge Alistair has ever attempted. His first step is against the equally impressive Brock Lesnar. Both of these men are absolute freaks of nature that have even been to succeed in other sports besides MMA. They also both bring in different tools to the octagon. With Alistair being more of the striker and Brock being the wrestler, this match is almost like the old school style vs. style matches from the UFC's early years. What makes this match so interesting is that both men's weaknesses are their opponent’s strengths as well: Alistair has never fought a wrestler like Brock and Brock has shown an inability to react well to being hit. We'll have a much more in depth breakdown of the fight in the coming days, but this is a fight to watch to say the least.
On December 30th Brock Lesnar will make his much anticipated return to the UFC octagon. "The Next Big Thing," as he was known in the WWE, will be fighting for the first time since undergoing surgery that removed 12 inches of his intestines. He will be taking on Alistair Overeem, who will be making his long-awaited UFC debut. The 2010 K1 Grand Prix champion will take on Lesnar in a five round fight to determine the next contender for Junior Dos Santos's heavyweight title.Given this main event, UFC 141 will likely be one of the biggest pay per views of the year.
If this fight wasn't big enough, DJ Mark with a "K" and I, Doctor Law, decided to raise the stakes with a beard bet. This comes down to both of us backing guys that we feel do not get enough respect. It breaks down like this: I believe Brock Lesnar is unfairly being continually crapped on by the hardcore MMA fanbase. They don't like that he's a former pro wrestler, the type of fans he brings to MMA, and that he has was given a shot at the title after only 3 professional fights. These fans fail to recognize just how truly bad ass Brock Lesnar is. They tend to overlook that he is a former national champion wrestler. Also, the man deserves some serious credit for taking on such a tough opponent after such a long layoff (combined with a serious surgery).
Alistair Overeem, on the other hand deals with a lack of recognition from the common fan, the wide-spread belief that he is on steroids and perception that he only fights scrubs. DJ Mark will tell you that Overeem has arguably been the best heavyweight in the world for years. Also, while Alistair has not faced the best competition in the world yet, his skills cannot be denied given the way he destroys all of his opponents. (DJ Mark and I both have no comment on the steroid accusations).
Let's be real people, the most important part of this fight is the beard bet. I will be betting my beautiful black beard against the glorified peach fuzz that DJ Mark has on his face. Defending my honor will be the former NCAA, WWE (still counts) and UFC champion, Brock Lesnar while the former K1, Dream and Strikeforce champion will be defending DJ Mark's right to pay some sort of pitiful homage to Guy Fawlkes. It's time for these two men to reward us for our faith in them. It's very simple: if Mr. Lesnar wins, I keep my beard and if he loses, America weeps.
The stakes have never been higher people. Being the #1 contender is secondary to the true prize up for grabs on December 30. I don't like losing and I especially don't like looking like a 16 year old fat kid. Here's hoping Brock doesn't let me down.
