One of the most feared strikers in MMA history returns this week looking to stay on the upswing.
Alistair Overeem (44-17 MMA, 9-6 UFC) heads to Russia for a fight for the first time since 2002 when he takes on Aleksei Oleinik (57-11-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN+ 7 main event Saturday at Yubileyniy Arena in St. Petersburg. The card streams on ESPN+.
After back-to-back knockout losses to Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes, former title challenger Overeem got back on track this past November in China with a first-round TKO of Sergey Pavlovich.
That victory was Overeem’s sixth win by TKO or knockout in the UFC. His first, though, came in his promotional debut back in late 2011 when he took on former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Overeem came over from Strikeforce and met Lesnar in the UFC 141 main event in Las Vegas. Lesnar was returning after being out for more than a year due to diverticuiltis, and he had a tough test on his hand against Overeem. The winner of the fight was expected to go on to challenge for the UFC heavyweight title.
Overeem was a slight favorite against Lesnar, but he made it look relatively easy by attacking Lesnar’s body with knees and kicks en route to a first-round finish. After that loss, Lesnar announced his retirement from MMA – though he eventually returned, and has been in talks to return again.
In the video above, check out Overeem’s impressive win over Lesnar from December 2011 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Then don’t miss his Saturday fight against Oleinik at UFC St. Petersburg.
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 7, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
