LOS ANGELES — As the top two heavyweights in the world get set to duel for the UFC’s championship, two others who would like to throw their hand in the mix as best in the division were on a stage Friday with UFC president Dana White to announce the second biggest fight between now and the end of 2011.
One will be making his long anticipated return to the Octagon. The other is making his long anticipated debut.
Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will and duel for the right to fight next for the belt against the winner of Saturday’s UFC on FOX headlining matchup between champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. That was made official at a press conference in Santa Monica to promote their matchup, the headliner of UFC 141, which will take place at the UFC’s traditional New Year’s Eve weekend event in Las Vegas.
The year-end event will be held on Friday, Dec. 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena — yes it will be a Friday because as White said, it’s too crazy logistically to hold an event in Vegas on the actual New Year’s Eve night (hotels are already booked, etc).
But White isn’t concerned about getting people to watch even though it’s not in the traditional Saturday time slot — especially considering it includes the UFC’s big-time ratings draw in former WWE star Brock Lesnar.
“I think we’ll do fine on Friday night,” White said.
The fact is, White couldn’t be happier to have Lesnar back healthy and ready to fight. Like Velasquez, Lesnar hasn’t fought since their meeting last October, when the former took the title from him with a first-round TKO. But the reason for Lesnar’s absence was much more severe than the shoulder injury that simply prevented Velasquez from being in the gym. Lesnar’s life was in jeopardy due to a second bout of diverticulitis.
He finally decided in May to undergo a procedure to take care of the problem, in which a footlong piece of his colon was taken out and repaired. Lesnar said Friday he shouldn’t have put it off.
“I avoided the surgery for as long as I could because when you go under the knife and have some of your intestines removed it’s a big deal,” Lesnar said. “Hindsight 20-20, I’m back!”
He’s back indeed, as was his “man of few words” witty routine.
Asked Friday when he felt ready and back to 100 per cent, he replied: “Six hours my after surgery.”
Asked about his relationship with Junior Dos Santos after their time spent opposite each other for weeks on The Ultimate Fighter, he quipped: “We’re BFFs.”
Asked about his weight in response to rumours he had slimmed down, he set the record straight: “Right now I weigh 278 pounds. Sorry for the disappointment.”
Of course, the most important questions Friday were about the upcoming matchup against Holland’s Overeem, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion who originally built himself into a star competing in Pride overseas. And they were trash-talking.
Overeem, who has 47 career MMA fights compared to Lesnar’s seven as a pro, said he thinks he has a big experience advantage.
“I believe I have 10 times as much,” Overeem said. “I’m going to tear this guy apart, piece by piece.”
Lesnar’s response: “I’m happy for you.”
The fans in attendance were loving his playfulness. And he was loving the opportunity to be back and renew his run.
Asked what he would do differently if he got past Overeem and fought Cain again, he interjected:
“Let’s rephrase that: WHEN I fight Cain again. I’ll try to slow the fight down a little instead of running and gunning.”
White, who said he was happy Lesnar was back “as long as he was healthy and living a normal quality life,” said early in the press conference, “Can you imagine the heavyweight division without Brock? It would suck.”
He was probably referring first to what he does in the Octagon. Clearly, it applies just as much outside it.
