The Brock Lesnar comeback is ready to go and it has been announced that he will fight former Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem in a fight that could be tough to make predictions on.
This might be the biggest matchup in UFC history from a size and strength standpoint and Overeem brings some unique skills to the Octagon that few have seen.
Overeem has K1 champ-level striking skills at the heavyweight level, but of course Lesnar is an NCAA champ wrestler. Lesnar won the title with Minnesota and has one of the strongest takedowns fans have seen.
The lines have opened up very close on this one, but it’s hard to bet on Lesnar with so many unknowns as he comes back from more serious medical issues.
Lesnar has the wrestling edge but he will be badly outgunned in striking. He also won’t be able to bully around the hulking Overeem like he has some other opponents. This is a difficult fight for Lesnar and his UFC fans. The odds predictions for this one early seem to be leaning toward Overeem.
Lesnar’s best hope is to go for a takedown and ground and pound or to simply control Overeem with wrestling, but Overeem has many tricks he can rely on.
Overeem’s guillotine is one of the best in the game and he could possibly use it to stand up if he’s in a bad position as long as he fights defensively.
The Dec. 30 fight could also showcase some of the jiu-jitsu Overeem has been working on improving.
While Lesnar has a decent shot in this one because of his wrestling, the loss of his size advantage plus his recently shown aversion to taking solid shots from better strikers doesn’t bode well for him heading into the matchup. Lesnar likes challenges and he is tough and driven but Overeem just seems like a tough matchup for him.
For these reasons, it’s best to go with Overeem in your UFC odds predictions and picks heading into the fight. Brock Lesnar is still a top ten heavyweight but he has much to work on before he can take on guys as big and skilled as “The Demolition Man.”