The UFC finished out the year with a great event in UFC 141, headlined by one of the biggest fights in the history of the heavyweight division, Brock lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem. In the build up to the event there had been fears that either or both fighters might pull out, with drug tests and family issues disrupting the training of Overeem, and worries over the health of Lesnar after he underwent major surgery in May of this year. Their fight was not the only one that received attention, as Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone had scored the co-headliner spot with their angst fueled rivalry in the build up to the event. The card was pretty stacked and delivered on every front, capping off a great 2011 and leaving us eager for more heading into the new year.
Nam Phan vs. Jimmy Hettes
Starting off the televised event striker Nam Phan met with up and coming submission artist Jimmy Hettes, who came into the bout with a perfect 9-0 record. Phan was a bit of a favourite of mine from TUF 12, and I was looking forward to seeing him give UFC newcomer Hettes the first real test of his career. It turns out I am going to have to wait a while longer for this test, as Hettes gave a beatdown to Phan for more or less the entire fight. Hettes controlled Phan on the ground for the majority of the fight, not managing to submit him but scoring big on the judges cards to give him an easy decision victory. A disappointing loss for Phan, but a pretty big win for Hettes, who I expect to see matched up with a more ground based opponent next time.
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Another personal favourite of mine, Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko, fought next against rising light heavyweight fighter Alexander Gustafsson. At 41 years of age Matyushenko has aged nearly as well as fellow dinosaur Dan Henderson, coming into this fight with a 26-5 record, fresh off a 20 second knockout of Jason Brilz in April. Gustafsson showed why he is one of the most talked about prospects at light heavyweight by getting a TKO victory on The Janitor at 2:13 of the first round. It is interesting to note that Matyushenko was one of many people to compare Jon Jones and Gustafsson before their fight. Jones also manhandled Matyushenko in a way that perhaps noone had in his entire career. At 24 years of age, the same as Jones, look for 2012 to be a big year for Gustafsson.
Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks
The next bout saw a major upset occur when widely considered #2 welterweight in the world Jon Fitch was KO'd in just 12 seconds by the underrated but impressively bearded Johny Hendricks. This saw Fitch suffer only his seconds loss in the octagon ever, and Hendricks climb over him in the line for a title shot. I have been watching Hendricks since he KO'd one of my favourite fighters in Amir Sadollah back in 2009, and should he win his next bout, I would consider him the logical coice to face the winner of the Nick Diaz/Carlos Condit interim welterweight title fight in February.
Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone
The co-main event was possibly the fight I was looking forward to most, as I, like most people, expected to see "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone cap off a great 2011 with his fifth win in a row, against tough opponent Nate Diaz. The build up to this fight had been great, with both fighters talking trash and doing it well, and Diaz pushing Cerrone and knocking off his patented cowboy hat at a face off the day before the weigh-ins. Both of these fighters are known for putting on a great show, and they did, but the outcome of the fight was a surprise to many, as Diaz outmatched Cerrone on their feet for the entire fight.
Cerrone had come into the fight as a healthy favourite, but his celebrated standup proved insufficient for taking out Diaz, who used the famous Diaz brother style of punching and punching and punching your opponent so much that they cannot do anything but try to survive it. I was a little disappointed in Cerrone but more than a little impressed by Diaz. His days as the lesser known of the Diaz brothers could be limited if he keeps putting on performances like that one.
Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar
The main event was one of the most hyped matchups in UFC history, as Brock Lesnar was chosen as the man to meet international super striker Alistair Overeem in his Octagon debut. This was a puzzle to predict, as there was no shortage of factors to contend with, including the health and focus of both fighters, Ocatgon virginity jitters for Overeem, ring rust for Lesnar, and of course the possibility of the fight being called off altogether due to failed drug tests. None of this stood in the way of the fight however, and it went ahead as planned.
I had been rooting for Lesnar coming into this fight, as I wanted to see him get another chance to reach the top, and like many other fans, I wanted to believe that his raw potential could be honed enough that he could compete with the very best in the world in MMA. We will always be left to wonder this however, as Overeem dropped Lesnar with body shots for a TKO at 2:26 of the first round, prompting him to announce his immediate retirement from the UFC.
This was a massive disappointment, but not overly shocking considering the health problems that Lesnar has had in recent years. He also no doubt has enough money saved to live out 5 lavish lifetimes, so fighting for money did not seem to be much of a motivator. With all the worries about Lesnar's health coming into the fight, people are sure to be using this as an excuse to doubt the prowess of Overeem. Since this win gives him the opportunity to face heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos this year, we will get the chance to see him tested again, and this time some pretty solid excuses are going to be needed to try and steal the thunder from a win should he get one.
A great event overall, and one that gave us a serious indication of who to watch out for in 2012. Expect to see Alexander Gustafsson and Johny Hendricks in the title pictures of their divisions before the year is out should they keep on winning. The same goes for Jimmy Hettes and Nate Diaz, both of whom have shown themselves as great prospects worthy of big name opponents. Expect Overeem to face Dos Santos some time in the summer for the title, as heavyweights don't seem to fight nearly as much as the smaller guys. Either way, all the winners here have the potential to make 2012 their year, and though I wasn't rooting for all of them in their fights, chances are I will be from now on.
