Lesnar vs. Overeem: What Does Win Mean for Former Strikeforce Superstar?

Alistair Overeem is one of the baddest men on the face of this earth and he showed why he can rule the UFC with his first-round TKO of former UFC Champion Brock Lesnar.

Overeem’s victory should have been the talk of the town, but Lesnar shook the MMA world to its core with his retirement from the sport. UFC owner and President Dana White said after the fight about the announcement:

"

I had no idea he would do that, (but) am I surprised? No. Brock Lesnar has made a lot of money in his career and has achieved a lot of things. ... He brought a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division. What he accomplished in a short amount of time is amazing, but I get it. It doesn’t shock me.

"

While rumors swirl about Lesnar’s retirement and possible trip back to WWE, the focus needs to be on Overeem.

This is one of the most talented stars the MMA game has ever seen, but there are still more questions than answers. Watching last night’s fights gives the average fan the feeling that Lesnar was not 100 percent.

The victory was exactly what Overeem needed to do, but he was never pushed by Lesnar. Junior dos Santos won’t be so easy.

Overeem goes from a lack of competition in the failing Strikeforce company to an abundance of top heavyweights clawing for a chance at the UFC title. Overeem should feel honored that he has this opportunity and he will take it very seriously.

As technically sound as Overeem looked, he has never faced a mixed martial artist as talented as dos Santos. The battle between the kick boxing of Overeem and the Muay Thai of dos Santos could actually live up to the hype that surrounded Overeem’s latest fight with Lesnar.

Despite several losses during his time with Strikeforce, this is a chance for Overeem to stay in the limelight and start with a clean slate. If he wins the UFC belt and defends it a few times, people will be clamoring that Overeem could be one of the best ever.

That’s just how the sport is.

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