2010 K-1 Dynamite New Year's Eve Event: Will Overeem Have Trouble with Duffee?

Alistair Overeem, 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix champion and Strikeforce heavyweight champion, apparently has an opponent for the vacant Dream Heavyweight Championship at the K-1 Dynamite New Year's Eve event.

UFC refugee Todd Duffee has said that he will be the man facing Overeem at Dynamite.

After dominating Mike Russow for two-and-a-half rounds, Duffee was caught with a thunderous right cross, sending him to the canvas and rendering him useless. Duffee’s boxing was stellar until his gas tank started running out. He left his hands down too far, and, like any MMA veteran would do, Russow capitalized and caught the young prospect.

Duffee subsequently had to pull out of his next bout due to a knee injury (Duffee claims he never agreed to the fight, his manager did) and was soon after released by the UFC. Dana White went on to say the release was mainly due to a “bad attitude” shown on Duffee’s part.

Whatever the case may be, Duffee surely wants back into the big show. What better way then, by beating one of the best heavyweights in the world in Alistair Overeem?

Overeem’s last mixed martial arts contest was in May against Brett Rogers. Rogers was made to look like a rookie by the horse meat-eating “Demolition Man.”

One would wonder if Todd Duffee is biting off a bit more than he can chew. Overeem is a consensus top-ten heavyweight. Duffee is really only scratching the surface of his career. However, the Xtreme Couture prospect has the size and strength to match up with a man like Overeem. His boxing can be a nice test for Overeem’s striking skills, especially when you consider Overeem’s lack of a ground game. Duffee can utilize the boxing to make Overeem forget about the floor, where Duffee can control the Grand Prix winner.

Duffee has nothing to lose going into this fight. It is a fight he is not supposed to win. He has the ability, I just do not believe he is ready to take on a fighter of Overeem’s caliber.