UFC 141: 10 Things You Must Know About Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem has never even stepped foot inside the UFC Octagon despite having fought nearly 50 fights in his mixed martial arts career.

Well, that will all change come December 30, when Overeem will meet former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Despite having never fought at the highest stage in MMA, Overeem is already considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC.

Unfortunately, we don't know a whole lot about the highly hyped heavyweight just yet. So, the following slides displays 10 things you need to know about UFC newcomer Alistair Overeem.

Let's take a look.

He's a Knockout Artist

One thing's for sure about Alistair Overeem: if you flee your guard, he will make you pay.

While "The Reem" has yet to do it inside the Octagon, he's knocked out 14 opponents leading up to his UFC debut.

Overeem has knocked out notable opponents in Todd Duffee, Brett Rogers and Kazuyuki Fujita.

Former Kickboxer

Just when you thought Overeem couldn't get any more dangerous, throw in his history of kickboxing.

While Overeem made the transition to mixed martial arts, he still fought in 14 different kickboxing bouts, winning 10 of them.

Kickboxing is just one part of Overeem's exceptional skill set.

He's Beatable

UFC fans across the globe are already considering Overeem the future of the UFC heavyweight division—and they may have a right to.

Overeem, however, has been exposed in the past as he's also accounted for 11 losses in MMA.

In fact, "The Reem" fell short to several current and former UFC fighters in Mauricio Rua, Antônio Rogério Nogueira, Chuck Liddell and Fabricio Werdum.

Loves to Use His Knees

When many people think of a knockout, they think of knockout strikes from the fists.

Well, Overeem does that and more.

Over the years, Overeem has not only knocked out his opponents via his heavy hands, but also with his knees.

In fact, a whopping eight fights have been decided by Overeem's knees.

He's a Submission Artist

There aren't too many fighters who show exceptional skills in both the knockout and submission in MMA today.

However, Overeem is an exception to that rule as he's actually submitted more men than he's knocked out.

In fact, Overeem has submitted UFC star Vitor Belfort, which is just one of his 19 career submission victories.

Trains with Kings MMA

A man is only as good as the training partners that surround him.

The Dutch fighter does a pretty good job with that as well, as he recently joined Kings MMA gym in Huntington Beach, California.

Overeem trains with fighters such as Anderson Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Wanderlei Silva.

His First Round Is His Best Round

One truly amazing feature of Overeem's career is his ability to finish.

Of Overeem's 35 career wins, 29 of them have ended in the very first round of action.

When the opening bell rings, you won't see Overeem wasting anytime, as he constantly seeks to engage early.

A Top Heavyweight in the World

Through Overeem's hard work and dedication, he's become one of the top heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts today.

And, according to Sherdog, Overeem is currently ranked the No. 3 heavyweight in the world.

A win over Lesnar at UFC 141 will continue to push Overeem up the heavyweight ladder.

He's a Former Champion

Despite never having fought in the UFC, Overeem has still faced top-notch competition.

Overeem's been successful, as he's won several titles and awards on his fast track to the top of his respected weight class.

Overeem is a former 2H2H light heavyweight champion and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion.

He's a Legend

While Overeem may be residing in California as he trains with Kings MMA, "The Reem" is known around the world.

In fact, Overeem was actually born in London, England before spending years fighting in the Netherlands and Japan.

Overeem's reputation will only continue to grow as he's reached the highest stage of mixed martial arts.