UFC 141 Fight Card: Brock Lesnar Will Shake off Rust to Upset Alistair Overeem

Brock Lesnar hasn't stepped into the Octagon since he got pummeled by Cain Velasquez last October, losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the process. His return will be much more successful as he'll shake off the rust and pick up a win over UFC newcomer Alistair Overeem.

Lesnar is an underdog heading into the fight because nobody is quite sure how prepared he'll be. If there's one thing fans should have learned about him by now, it's that there isn't a more fierce competitor in mixed martial arts than the former WWE star.

He wouldn't have returned unless he was ready to dominate like he did in wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. If anything, the extra time off to recover from some health scares should have given the rest of his body time to heal as well.

At his peak, Lesnar was the emerging sport's biggest star and among the most feared fighters around. That aura has taken a hit since he's missed so much time, but that's nothing a couple marquee victories won't fix.

Overeem makes the move to UFC after an extremely successful stint with Strikeforce. He hasn't lost since 2007 when Sergei Kharitonov knocked him out.

That was the fourth loss in five fights for Overeem, whose career appeared to be spinning out of control. He was able to regain his bearings, however, and has been a dominant force ever since, so it makes sense that he moves to the premier MMA company.

Facing off with Lesnar is a tough ask for his first fight. Few fighters he's faced in the past have possessed the same power potential that Lesnar has when he's clicking on all cylinders.

Only one of Lesnar's fights has gone the distance, and that trend is likely to continue tonight. That said, don't be surprised if it takes a little longer than his recent bouts that have all ended in the first two rounds. It's going to take some time for him to find his footing before going into attack mode.

All told, it wouldn't be surprising to see Overeem win the first round before Lesnar finds his form. Look for Lesnar to take control from there en route to a third round knockout victory.

It should be an awesome, fast-paced fight regardless of the outcome.