Issue 086
March 2012
Could Alistair Overeem become the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ in 2012? That epithet will be a major talking point for the next few months. Overeem has already slung the Dream, Strikeforce and K-1 heavyweight grand prix belts over those ripened shoulders; the addition of the UFC’s heavyweight bauble would make him the first fighter to unify the major blue riband titles.
Gareth A Davies
MMA and Boxing Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, London
If Overeem can use his experience and striking skills to defeat Junior Dos Santos, sometime soon, he could become an MMA marketeer’s dream. He looked like he’d fitted right into the groove on his UFC headline debut against Brock Lesnar, despite the disappointing lack of fight in the Minnesotan come the event.
There are some PR gurus who are of the view Overeem could be the most marketable, global figure in MMA in 2012. “Because of his size, and personality, he is like a superhero to the younger kids in the market,” one prominent MMA publicist has theorized to me already.
Overeem was certainly one thing against Lesnar: a dead-eye, cold killer in the Octagon, un-phased by the size and significance of the occasion.
Indeed, his assertion that everything was “100 times bigger in the UFC” and that he “loves every minute of it” all point towards a massive build-up for the striking battle that will surely ensue when the Dutchman and the Brazilian let their hands and feet fly in a few months’ time.
I’ve spoken to ‘The Reem’ one-on-one about a fight with Dos Santos and the new number one contender really fancies the job.
Given his experience, he may well be the favorite. He’s relishing the opportunity.
“Yep, I really am, but I think that Dos Santos is a first-class striker. He’s a very dangerous character, with very dangerous hands.
“But… I believe I am the one to beat him. And I can’t wait to be there to fight him for the title.”
From a distance, I’d probably pick out Dos Santos as the winner, given the theory that Overeem is devastating in offense, less so in defense. But hands-up, I picked Brock to take him down…
Speaking of the former champion, I’ve heard some fans questioning Lesnar’s legacy in the Octagon. Given the nature of his final defeat, Brock has been given a barbed send-off by sections of the fans – and media. But look at the facts: the 34-year-old came in at the very top level, suffered an extremely serious illness/disease and was found wanting against high-level strikers. Across a 5-3 fight record spanning three years, he held the UFC heavyweight title, and ducked no-one…
ABUSE?… OR OLD-FASHIONED FATHER-SON PUNISHMENT?
Talk to men of a certain age and they’ll often tell you how their father once “took his belt” to them as punishment for one wrongdoing or another. Interested to hear your views on this one relating to Houston Alexander, remembered for being defeated by Kimbo Slice in the UFC.
Police issued Alexander, 39, from North Omaha with a “child abuse misdemeanor” citation after he had punished his 16-year-old by making him box with him, for lying.
We might recall that Alexander, the father of six children, also donated one of his kidneys to his oldest daughter in 2000.
Police reports indicate that officers were called to his home due to a domestic disturbance. Father told the police he was having trouble with his teen son, who was ‘having explicit sexual contact on Facebook with some unknown females’.
His son reportedly lied and “made him very upset”. According to police reports, Alexander had then pulled out boxing gloves and told his son, ‘If you are going to lie to me, then we are going to box.’
They reportedly boxed in the basement. Officers describe the teen as having a “slight bloody nose and pain to his right side.”
Old-fashioned punishment? Or abuse? How do we stand on this in 2012?
COMING UP NEXT… FLYWEIGHT EXCITEMENT
2012 could bring a slew of mega-matches crossing divisions as the sport continues to climb into new realms of excitement and fierce competition from heavyweight to bantamweight… but I’m just as expectant about the flyweights being introduced into the UFC early in March.
The four-man 125lb seedings includes Tachi Palace’s top-ranked champ Ian McCall, Shooto champion Yasuhiro Urushitani, UFC bantamweight title contender Demetrious Johnson and Team Alpha Male action hero Joseph Benavidez.
The four go mano-a-mano (McCall vs Johnson, Urushitani vs Benavidez) in Australia on March 3rd and it should be nothing short of brilliant. My tip is that the very colorfully tattooed McCall – told by a doctor in hospital some years ago he had been dead for a while after he had been on an alcohol and drug binge – will go on to become the UFC’s first 125lb champion.
