[video=youtube;EFu10XKFhA8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFu10XKFhA8[/video] "Yeah, it is (a number one contender fight)," said UFC President Dana White. "That's a crazy fight. "Imagine when those two square off at the weigh-ins. It's going to be awesome. I'm excited for that fight too. I'm excited to see, and I know the fans are too, I'm excited to see what Alistair Overeem has. "People can yap and say whatever they want; when these guys come over to the UFC, it's a whole 'nother ball game. It's going to be a real good gauge to find out where Alistair really sits in the heavyweight division. "I'd say it's pretty safe to say (the winner of Cain Velasquez vs. JDS will fight the winner of Lesnar vs. Overeem)."
Re: Winner of Overeem/Lesnar gets next crack at title Overeem is a top-3 heavyweight right now so beating him should put Lesnar back in the picture. However, if Velasquez beats dos Santos, what does Lesnar have to offer him in a rematch?
Re: Winner of Overeem/Lesnar gets next crack at title This. I know Lesnar is a big draw but can you really justify giving him another title shot after one win? Alistair is SF champ and easily the next #1 contender if he beats Lesnar but it seems like a stretch to think Brock deserves another crack at Cain and perhaps even Dos Santos. What about Mir and Big Nog who have both beaten some decent HWs recently and the winner of their fight should have a pretty good case to be the next challenger...though Nog did get handled by Cain himself and Mir hasn't been impressive in his wins over Crocop and Roy Nelson. I'd give Alistair the next shot if he wins just based on his recent dominance but should Lesnar win then I'd pit him against Nog/Mir for the next shot. Lesnar is a unique fighter because hes had such dire health issues and hes such a massive draw. I know Dana wants him in big fights, fights that they can sell, championship fights, etc. He draws casual/uninterested fans. As an MMA fan though there are so many other Brock matches I would like to see than another Brock/Cain fight unless Brock REALLY looks improved (which seems impossible given that hes been recovering from sickness and not training for much of the time since the Cain fight). Brock/Overeem is awesome, I'd love to see Brock/Nog for the wrestling vs. BJJ dynamic and to see a legit legend against Brock, if Mir beat Nog and they decided for Brock/Mir rubber match for the #1 contendership I could get excited for that given that its been a while since they fought and they're 1-1, I could go for Brock/Carwin II. Brock/Cain just doesn't make sense so soon. Brock couldn't keep Cain down and Cain thoroughly destroyed him. As for this fight, obviously I'm rooting for Alistair. Not just because Brock annoys me but because I would rather not see Brock get another title shot and I'd like to see some different matchups with him. It will be interesting to see these guys weigh in. Reem came in at 254 in his last fight in SF which I believe is small for him *cough*steroids*cough* and Brock is coming off another diverticulitis. He was 264 against Cain though and he said he'd been smaller after he changed his diet after the first case of diverticulitis. Carwin and Cain quickly made Brock turtle up after a big punch. Alistair's lack of wrestling defense may not allow him the opportunity to get that punch though. However hes a big, strong, athletic guy and may not be so easily manhandled on the mat as Mir and the like. Still, Brock has great technique and if he comes into the fight over 265 he could have 10-20 lbs on Reem. Can't wait to see how it plays out.
In related news, the winner of Henderson/Shogun is next in line for a title shot (after Rashad), as is Melvin Guillard.
