UFC 141 Lesnar vs. Overeem: Preview, Weigh-in Results and More

When the history books are written on mixed martial arts in 2011, Brock Lesnar's return fight against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 will be the turning point for the heavyweight division. This is the biggest fight—literally and figuratively—of the year, and is going to set the tone for everything that happens next year. 

Lesnar seems to have more pressure on him in this fight. He is the biggest draw in the sport and is coming off that embarrassing loss to Cain Velasquez last year followed by another bout with diverticulitis. Another loss could do severe damage to his drawing power in UFC. 

However, Overeem needs mixed martial arts. He has built his life around the sport, and this is his first shot on the UFC stage. If he loses to Lesnar, who may or may not be 100 percent, it will put him at a disadvantage going forward in the company. 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

When: Friday, December 30 at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Facebook undercard fights at 6:50 p.m. ET, preliminary fights at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV, main card fights at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view; online pay-per-view streaming (must pay $44.99) at UFC.tv, Yahoo! Sports, UStream, Android or iPhone.

Weigh-In: Thursday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. ET

Betting Line: Alistair Overeem (-150)

It is really a telling sign about where people think that Lesnar is at right now that Overeem is favored in this fight. That's not to say that he doesn't deserve to be, but he has not faced the competition that Lesnar has. 

He is a better striker, but he does not possess an all-around fighting style as strong as Lesnar does. I would be willing to put money on Lesnar as an underdog in this match. 

FIGHT CARD

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem

Lightweight Bout: Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone

Welterweight Bout: Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustaffson

Featherweight Bout: Nam Phan vs. Jimy Hettes

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

Featherweight Bout: Ross Pearson vs. Junior Assuncao 

Lightweight Bout: Anthony Njokuani vs. Danny Castillo

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

Welterweight Bout: Dong Hyun Kim vs. Sean Pierson

Lightweight Bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Efrain Escudero

Welterweight Bout: Matt Riddle vs. Luis Ramos

Featherweight Bout: Manvel Gamburyan vs. Diego Nunes

Main-Card Fighter That Will Become a Superstar: Donald Cerrone

Hardcore mixed martial arts fans already know that Cerrone is one of the best lightweight fighters in the world, and he is likely going to be competing for the 155-pound championship at some point in 2012. 

Nate Diaz does present an interesting challenge for Cerrone because both fighters are ground fighters with a strong arsenal of submission holds. 

This is the time for Cerrone to shine on the biggest possible stage. Fighting in the semi-main event on a card with Brock Lesnar is going to make him into a sensation because he has an exciting, unique style and personality to get over with casual fans. 

Why Brock Lesnar Will Win

Lesnar's biggest asset in this fight is his wrestling ability, but he does pack a lot of power behind his punches. As mentioned before, he is a better all-around fighter than Overeem. He can win with a knockout or submission or just grinding out a five-round decision. 

Since he hasn't been in the Octagon since October 2010, I am anxious to see just how well his body holds up the longer this fight goes on. 

He can't be baited into standing and trading with Overeem, because there is no way that he will win that battle. He must show improved striking technique and use that to set up the takedown, If he can do that, he should dominate this fight. 

Why Alistair Overeem Will Win

Overeem is the best kickboxer in mixed martial arts. He has heavy hands and feet, and isn't afraid to use them at any point in a fight. 

We know from past fights with Shane Carwin and Velasquez that Lesnar has difficulty taking a punch. That plays right into what Overeem wants to do in this fight. 

As long as he doesn't get taken down, he should be able to wear Lesnar down before landing that one shot to finish the fight. 

Prediction

I keep going back and forth on who to predict, but I still think that Lesnar's health problems and long layoff are going to hinder him in this fight. 

Overeem wins via second-round TKO.

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