5 Reasons Lesnar vs. Overeem Is More Intriguing Than Velasquez vs. JDS

With the recent announcement of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar signing to take on former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem on Dec. 30, fans have been excited to discuss the potential outcomes of the HW division for the rest of 2011.

It was announced a week ago that current UFC HW Champion Cain Velasquez would put his title on the line against No.1 contender Junior dos Santos on the first UFC show on Fox. That fight takes place on Nov. 12.

With the Velasquez-dos Santos fight being broadcast on free TV and Lesnar-Overeem being on UFC PPV, we won't get the chance to see who actually draws more in terms of PPV buys.

Still, this is one of the more intriguing matchups of the year and just might be more intriguing than the heavyweight title fight.

Here is why.

No. 5: How Will Both Fighters React When They Get Hit?

It's no mystery that both fighters have had problems with receiving shots in the past. Overeem has been stopped by strikes six times in his MMA career while Lesnar has been finished by Cain Velasquez and was almost stopped against Shane Carwin.

Lesnar's chin isn't the problem. It's how he reacts to getting hit. Part of this can be attributed to his lack of experience before becoming heavyweight champion, where he was facing the most dangerous fighters without having been tested.

Until his first title defense versus Carwin, he had really gone without being hit by a powerful striker, and it almost cost him when he did.

Overeem has had some unusual endings to his fights in the past, most of which were attributed to strikes. If it's not his chin that got him in trouble, it was his cardio.

"The Demolition Man" was stopped in bouts versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Sergei Kharitonov, but most were left scratching their heads and asking "What happened?" as he turned his back to his opponent and was finished.

No. 4: It Could End Very Quickly and Brutally

Even though this fight is scheduled for five rounds, there won’t be many who predict it to go that far. The opposite can be said for Velasquez vs. dos Santos, which is considered to be one of the more evenly matched heavyweight title fights in years.

Both Lesnar and Overeem like to come out fast and establish their game plans early on. That will be a key factor to determine who wins this fight as it’s a clear striker vs. grappler matchup on the biggest scale.

They both have clear weaknesses that the other can exploit.

If Lesnar can’t get the fight to the ground, how will he fare against arguably the best heavyweight striker in the division?

If Overeem gets taken down, will he be able to keep Lesnar from overwhelming him with his size and strength?

Don't be let down by the fight if it doesn't make it past the five-minute mark.

No. 3: One of the Best Wrestlers in the Division vs. the Best Striker

As stated previously, this is a clear grappler vs. striker matchup. At least, that’s how many will anticipate the fight to be fought. Their accomplishments in their respective strengths outside of the cage produces a very intriguing challenge.

Not only is it that, but it’s also going to be a fight contested between two of the more intimidating and physically imposing looking fighters in MMA.

This definitely brings a lot of interest from fight fans who look for the biggest and meanest-looking fighters in the sport.

Knowing where each fighters’ strengths are makes this a very exciting fight and one that can provide fireworks for however long it lasts. At all times, we will know who has the advantage in this fight, but it could still go either way.

Since the fight will start standing up, Lesnar will have to overcome one of the biggest challenges of his career in getting through Overeem’s striking, which has been used to become a K1 kickboxing champion.

If Overeem is put on his back, he will have to endure about as big of a challenge in the former NCAA Division I champion's wrestling ability as the former WWE superstar will have to endure his opponent’s standup skills.

No. 2: Will Extensive Layoff Hurt Lesnar's Performance?

Both Lesnar and Velasquez haven't fought since their bout in October 2010, and both of them are coming back from problems outside the cage.

Velasquez suffered a shoulder injury while Lesnar was struck with diverticulitis for the second time in two years.

The intestinal disease forced Lesnar to have surgery that required doctors to remove and repair a 12-inch piece of his colon.

UFC president Dana White claims Lesnar is back to 100 percent, but it won't be for certain until he steps back into the Octagon and wins. The last memories of him in the cage are ones where he was dominated by the superior fighter in Velasquez.

Both dos Santos and Overeem have stayed active during their opponents' time off. Dos Santos had an easy time in defeating Shane Carwin while Overeem defeated Todd Duffee and Fabricio Werdum.

Since Lesnar battled a life-threatening illness, many will want to see him overcome the odds and win. The even odds prove that won't be an easy task.

No. 1: Will This Be Lesnar's Final Fight?

Lesnar's record doesn't look the best at 5-2, but within those seven bouts, he has won, defended and lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship. That is quite an accomplishment considering his lack of experience in the sport.

It only makes sense that the end of his career comes as quickly as it began.

If he defeats Overeem, he will be in the position to challenge the winner of Velasquez and dos Santos in 2013. While that might not seem fair at the moment, a win over Overeem would have definitely proven Lesnar is a different fighter than the one we saw last year. With his short amount of time competing in the sport, we can expect to see a different fighter every time he fights.

If he loses, it could very well be the end of his MMA career. His record would be 5-3 and show that he might have just jumped into deep water too soon without developing himself as a fighter.

There is no shame in losing to Overeem, but it would be surprising to see him continue after a second consecutive loss—even if it is against the best fighters.