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Friday, Nov 11, 2011

UFC 141 Presser: Overeem Plans to Tear Lesnar “Apart Piece by Piece”

Overeem throwing Brett Rogers

By FCF Staff

While tomorrow, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will compete live on Fox in one of the biggest fights the sport has ever seen, the promotion continues to set the stage for another mega bout next month.

In anticipation for the December 30th, UFC 141 main event fight between former champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem, the promotion held a press conference today in Santa Monica, California. Both Overeem and Lesnar were in attendance, as was UFC President Dana White, and there were several, quote worthy moments.

Overeem said he aggravated a previous rib injury in his win over Fabricio Werdum this past June, which he reported was the main reason why he withdrew from the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix. The noted striker and K-1 champ added that he’s excited to be in the UFC and that he’s ready to “get it on.”

Lesnar joked that it took him “about six hours” to feel like himself, following the surgery earlier this year that was required to treat his diverticulitis, a stomach ailment that removed him from a bout with dos Santos in June. The accomplished wrestler also emphatically announced “I’m back.”

The former UFC champion also acknowledged that Overeem has done a lot of “good things” overseas, but that he’s looking forward to “kicking his ass.”

Lesnar reported that he weighs about 275 pounds, following recent speculation that he may have slimmed down after his latest bout with diverticulitis. Lesnar has not fought since last October, when he was stopped by Velasquez in the first round at UFC 121.

Overeem repeated recent news that he’s relocated from Holland to the Xtreme Couture facility in Las Vegas for his training camp. Overeem added that he’s enjoying his time at the gym, but isn’t sure if the renowned facility will be his permanent camp for training.

The former Strikeforce champion stated that he has a significant experience advantage over Lesnar, “about ten times as much,” and that he’s going to tear his opponent “apart, piece by piece.”

When asked if he’s had to change his lifestyle and diet due to his diverticulitis, Lesnar responded by saying “I eat ground beef.”

Overeem reported that the UFC offered him a title shot “right away,” but because he wanted to stay active and not wait on the sidelines for the winner of Velasquez vs. dos Santos, he accepted the UFC’s offer to fight Lesnar.

Lesnar predicted Velasquez to win Saturday’s UFC on FOX main event, while Overeem stated that he believes the champion also has a slight advantage over dos Santos, citing his cardio and wrestling.

Lesnar sarcastically said that he and dos Santos are “BFFs”, when asked what his relationship is like with the heavyweight, after they coached opposite one another on “The Ultimate Fighter” earlier this year.

When asked what he would do differently against Velasquez if they fight again, Lesnar rephrased the question by stating “when I fight Cain,” he will slow things down and take a less aggressive approach than he did during their first meeting.

UFC 141 will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of the other bouts confirmed for the card include Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks, Alexander Gustafsson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko and Manny Gamburyan vs. Diego Nunes.

posted by FCF Staff @ 5:46 pm
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