Categories
Fight Club

UFC 141 Lesnar vs. Overeem Free Pick & Preview

In a match for the ages, Lesnar vs. Overeem in a battle of MMA legends. Two of the biggest, baddest Heavyweights on the planet do battle in what should be a beauty! The MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada hosts Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem. We preview and pick the entire UFC 141 fight card.

UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Are you excited about this one? Me too! Two of the biggest, baddest Heavyweights on the planet do battle in what should be a beauty!

Date/Time: Friday, December 30, 2011, 9pm ET/6pm PT
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: Pay-per-view

Main Event

Alistair Overeem (35-11-0): -135
Brock Lesnar (5-2-0): +105

Lesnar brings an incredible wrestling pedigree to the Octagon – Overeem is an elite striker with experience to spare.

Lesnar has been out of action for some time but as we’ve seen before, inactivity doesn’t necessarily result mean bad things for Lesnar. Overeem has been relatively inactive himself!

Overeem’s only chance is to keep this fight standing and batter the former NCAA wrestling Champ – but how did that work for Shane Carwin? Expect a similar script in this one – Lesnar will weather the storm and eventually get this fight to the mat where he will have a huge advantage. Overeem is tough but there is no way that he can match the ruggedness and cardio of Brock Lesnar. Once on top, Lesnar is unstoppable!

Pick: Brock Lesnar +105

Main Card

Nate Diaz (12-7-0): +220
Donald Cerrone (16-3-0): -300

It seems that Donald Cerrone has been on every major card in the last six months doesn’t it? Cerrone will look to continue his climb up the Lightweight ladder when he takes on the tough younger brother of Nick, Nate Diaz.

Diaz will bring insane conditioning, superb boxing and a terrific jiu-jitsu background to the octagon against the extremely well rounded Donald Cerrone. Diaz will push the pace but expect Cerrone’s Muay Thai credentials, speed and power to be enough to score him a decision victory. It should be a great fight but expect Cerrone’s recent roll to continue.

Pick: Donald Cerrone -300

Jon Fitch (23-3-1): -230
Johny Hendricks (11-1-0): +180

Two top Welterweights do battle as part of the Main Card at UFC 141 with Jon Fitch trying to remain in the Top Tier of talent in the division against up-and-comer Johny Hendricks. Both men are excellent wrestlers and both possess above average striking ability. What this fight will come down to is experience – there is not a whole lot that Hendricks can bring to the Octagon that Fitch hasn’t already seen.

Fitch is arguably a Top 5 Welterweight in the world right now – Hendricks can’t even be considered in the Top 10 yet. Octagon savvy will be the difference – Fitch is just too tough and too much of a student of the game to be denied. In yet another boring grind-em-out fight, expect Fitch to prevail.

Pick: Jon Fitch -230

Vladimir Matyushenko (25-6-0): +250
Alexander Gustafsson (12-1-0): -350

Veteran Vladimir Matyushenko takes on relative newcomer Alexander Gustafsson in Light Heavyweight action at UFC 141. Both of these fighters will be looking to get this fight to the ground – Matyushenko’s needs to utilize his wrestling to gain Top Control and Gustafsson needs to use take downs so he can set up one of his patented submissions.

Matyushenko is a crafty fighter and although Gustafsson is certainly an intriguing prospect, I like the experience and all around ruggedness of Matyushenko to prevail.

Pick: Vladimir Matyushenko +250

Nam Phan (16-9-0): -240
Jim Hettes (9-0-0): +190

Karate and jiu-jitsu fighter Nam Phan squares off against one of the more dangerous submission artists in the Featherweight Division, Jim Hettes, as the first fight on the Main Card of UFC 141. Phan, despite being a Black Belt in jiu-jitsu may want to keep this fight standing where he will have an enormous edge over the somewhat one dimensional Hettes. Hettes does have some experience in boxing but his office is the ground where he has finished all nine of his combatants so far.

While Phan has the standup edge and Hettes has the edge on the mat, perhaps the determining factor in this fight will be… here’s that word again – experience. Phan has been fighting professionally for 10 years and has been inside the Octagon with some high caliber talent. Phan’s experience and better all around balance should be enough for him in this bout. [ad-3573245]

Pick: Nam Phan -240

Spike TV Card

Ross Pearson (12-5-0): -280
Junior Assuncao (12-4-0): +210

This fight is a true contrast in styles. While Pearson would love to keep this fight standing in order to unleash his unrelenting Muay Thai style, Junior Assuncao will be looking to take this fight to the mat where he can utilize his incredible jiu-jitsu.

This will be Pearson’s first fight at Featherweight – he will be the bigger of the two but fears are that the weight cut may be too much. Take the upset in this one – Pearson’s one dimensional style will be his downfall. Assuncao isn’t spectacular but he is well rounded enough to pull the upset!

Pick: Junior Assuncao +210

Anthony Njokuani (14-5-0): +150
Danny Castillo (12-4-0): -180

Danny Castillo, fresh off an impressive, dominating win over Shamar Bailey at UFC 139 heads back into the Octagon after barely a month off to take on Striking Machine Anthony Njokuani. Njokuani is holder of an incredible MMA record – while a part of the WEC he had three consecutive Knockout of the Night pay checks. Since joining the UFC he is 2-0. Danny Castillo is no joke however – he is a very well rounded fighter and has already beaten the likes of Joe Stevenson.

Castillo is the better rounded of the fighters but I like the power and confidence of Njokuani in this one. This could be a career defining fight for the Nigerian – look for a solid performance.

Pick: Anthony Njokuani +150

Sean Pierson (11-5-0): +300
Dong Hyun Kim (14-1-1): -400

Dong Hyun Kim will be looking to avenge the only loss of his career (a KO loss to Welterweight Title Contender Carlos Condit) when he takes on another fighter that lost in his last bout, Sean Pierson (a KO loss to Jake Ellenberger). Kim is a top “B level” fighter while Pierson is barely a C+. Take Kim to bounce back and make his way onto a Main Card down the line – somewhere he belongs!

Pick: Dong Hyun Kim -400

Jacob Volkmann (13-2-0): -280
Efrain Escudero (18-3-0): +210

Efrain Escudero, one of the only former TUF challengers to ever get cut from the UFC makes his return to the Big Show as an injury replacement for TJ Grant. Jacob Volkmann has been incredible since moving down a weight class – undefeated since his heady move. Escudero went 5-1 outside the UFC to earn a second shot. But against a future Lightweight title contender, Escudero will have his hands full. Volkmann is better in absolutely every aspect of MMA – look for his wrestling to be the ultimate difference maker in what should be a fairly easy win for Volkmann.

Pick: Jacob Volkmann -280

Matthew Riddle (5-3-0): -125
Luis Ramos (19-7-0): -105

Former TUF 7 participant Matt Riddle will look to bounce back after two straight losses inside the Octagon when he takes on Brazilian Luis Ramos who lost his only fight in the UFC. Riddle is a better fighter than his record suggests – he holds wins over Greg Soto and DeMarques Johnson. Take the American to hand the Brazilian his second straight loss in the UFC.

Pick: Matthew Riddle -125

Manny Gamburyan (10-6-0): +220
Diego Nunes (16-2-0): -300

Manny Gamburyan has had a miserable time since finishing second on TUF 5 – he has not tasted victory in nearly 4 years! Diego Nunes brings a very well rounded game and a good amount of experience against top competition to the Octagon on Friday night. It is hard to imagine Gamburyan knocking off a fighter that took Kenny Florian to the brink and defeated the likes of Mike Brown.

Pick: Diego Nunes -300

By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.