MMA Universe

According to noted oddsmaker Nick Kalikas of BetOnFighting.com, it's none other than UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. "Cigano" opens as a -240 favorite headed into his first title defense against Alistair Overeem, which is scheduled for sometime in 2012, possibly the summer.

"The Reem" comes in as the underdog at +190.

Anyone jumping on this line with wallets wide open? Or do you expect a dramatic shift as we get closer and closer to fight night?

Overeem has been crushing the competition for years now, compiling 11 wins in 12 fights (one no contest) since 2007. He made a successful debut with the UFC last night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) by stopping Brock Lesnar in the first round by way of technical knockout using his vaunted K-1 level striking.

Apparently the oddsmakers think the heavyweight champ's boxing is better.

Dos Santos, no different than Overeem, has been absolutely destroying his competition. In fact, just like "Demolition Man," he hasn't lost a fight since 2007, the lone defeat of his career.

However, unlike "The Reem," the Brazilian bomber has been running through top competition inside the Octagon. He's 8-0 under the UFC banner with five knockouts, including his 64-second destruction of Cain Velasquez that earned him the heavyweight strap.

It's no wonder he's favored. But will the deadly Dutchman prove once and for all that he's the best striker in the world, at heavyweight at least?

We're still a ways away from fight time, Maniacs, but who do you like for your money and who ya' got straight up?

To see the "Dos Santos vs. Overeem" odds and betting lines plus all the action for upcoming UFC and Strikeforce events click here.

Brock Lesnar lost to Alistair Overeem last night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It took just a few minutes inside the cage for "The Reem" to slay the beast and make a successful Octagon debut. In fact, the Dutchman made it look easy.

So easy, in fact, that there are those who are now accusing Lesnar of laying down for his opponent.

Immediately following the event, Chris Jericho, who worked with Lesnar in WWE and is currently on sabbatical from the professional wrestling company, took to Twitter and kept it short and sweet.

"Lesnar just took a dive," he tweeted.

That's one hell of an accusation, especially considering the fact that it came from a pro wrestler who would know what a worked match looks like. That's not to say Lesnar "worked" his match against Overeem but it's interesting that that's the first impression Jericho had after seeing the fight.

Then again, he's got motives of his own. There are a few potential reasons Jericho could be accusing Brock of a work here. Let's break them down.

Jericho is just trolling his Twitter followers: For those of you who are unfamiliar with Chris Jericho or the world of professional wrestling, he's a guy who loves to stir the pot. It seems petty to tweet something just for the sake of causing a sh*tstorm but if anyone in the business would do something like that, it's Jericho.
Jericho legitimately believes Lesnar took a dive: This also isn't out of the realm of possibility and I'm sure there are quite a few marks out there who believe the same thing. Lesnar was highly uncompetitive in the fight and when the finishing sequence came, one could make an argument that Brock just wanted out and let himself get beat. UFC President Dana White said he was told by Lesnar that he fears he may have broken a rib, which could explain it. Or the fact that a K-1 champion kickboxer blasted Lesnar right where his 12-inches of intestine used to be could also have played a big part in ending the bout.
Jericho is going into business for himself in the hopes of a big payday down the road in WWE: By now we all know of the rumors that Lesnar will be returning to WWE at some point in the near future. He signed what's known as a "Legend's Contract" recently, which essentially means WWE can use his likeness for merchandise and video games and whatnot. But it also opens the door for his return to the squared circle. And Vince McMahon, the head cheese with WWE, has already offered Lesnar a great deal of money for a big match at WrestleMania, WWE's flagship pay-per-view, to get one big payoff with Brock. With Lesnar already admitting that he thinks he'll go back and won't turn down the payday, he's going to need an opponent. Jericho could simply be positioning himself to be that guy, though he's probably fourth or fifth down on the list of potential return opponents behind guys like Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Jericho is just an idiot: Let me just put this here for those who are thinking it anyway.

I tend to believe, personally, that it's a mixture of the first three. Jericho is trolling his followers while working an angle that he legitimately believes there is some truth to. Lesnar didn't exactly put up much of a fight when he was taken into relatively deep water and considering the fact that he had a $400,000 payday (before pay-per-view bonuses are factored in) awaiting him no matter the outcome, I can see how one might believe he just let it end.

His retirement immediately after the bout is only furthering speculation that a WWE return is in his future. Don't expect it to happen anytime soon, but by this time next year, an announcement isn't out of the question.

What do you think, Maniacs? Agree with Jericho? Or is he just trolling?

If UFC 133 was Alexander Gustafsson's coming out party, then UFC 141 last night (Dec. 30, 2011) was his full on arrival in the light heavyweight division.

"The Mauler" beat former top 205-pound stalwart Matt Hamill into retirement back then and when he stepped into the cage against seasoned veteran Vladimir Matyushenko on the "Lesnar vs. Overeem" main card, he appeared to be a man on a mission.

Let's just say, "Mission accomplished."

It only took 2:35 for Gustafsson to clean the clock of "The Janitor" after dropping him and finishing him off with some ferocious follow-up strikes.

So how did he beat the 14-year mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran so easily? And where do both men go from here?

Gustafsson was very patient early, taking his time to gauge the proper distance and utilize his length in his striking attack. If he threw anything in the first minute, it was a kick from distance, which was very safe.

Matyushenko, on the other hand, was having serious issues with his boxing attack as Gustafsson was too far away for him to properly close the distance and land anything significant.

Perhaps as a sign of frustration, he charged in recklessly after over two minutes of this "cat and mouse" game and he was quickly about to regret it.

Just as "The Janitor" lunged forward, Gustafsson threw out a stiff jab. Matyushenko's forward momentum only compounded the force of the blow, which landed with a direct hit on his exposed face and the nearly 41 year old former Belarusian wrestling star dropped to the canvas.

Gustafsson pounced with heavy punches and the referee wisely stepped in before anything regrettable happened, handing the Scandinavian prospect his second significant victory in a row.

For Vladimir Matyushenko, this was just a brutal match-up stylistically. Gustafsson was too quick, too lanky and too diverse with his strikes for him to sustain any significant offense. With only his boxing, it was like he was bringing a knife to a gun fight. His power is there if he could have landed a big punch, but his inability to close the distance safely was the key reason he was on the losing end here.

Despite the fact that he turns 41 in just a day or two, I don't think Matyushenko is done. His only losses in his current six fight UFC run are to two of the best and youngest prospects in the promotion at light heavyweight. He's still a durable gatekeeper that can serve a purpose. I'd like to see him against someone like Kyle Kingsbury, Forrest Griffin or perhaps the upcoming loser of the Ryan Bader vs. Quinton Jackson fight. This veteran definitely still has some gas left in the tank.

For Alexander Gustafsson, this was a terrific showing. He played it safe early and quickly realized he could dart in and out without eating anything serious. The set-up to the finish of the fight was practically an accident, dropping his foe with a jab, but the follow-up was all him. He's got great instincts and he's lethal both on the ground and in the stand-up department.

It's time to take it to the next level from here on out. Perhaps he could welcome back Thiago Silva to the UFC when his suspension is over. Another option could be the upcoming winner of Ryan Bader vs. Quinton Jackson. Lastly, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira also recently finished an opponent in the first round so he could be free as well. We'll see how quickly the UFC wants to push this young stud. He's definitely got a boatload of potential.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

Was the outcome of this fight ever in doubt in your minds? How far do you see Alexander Gustafsson progressing in the UFC light heavyweight division?

Sound off!

For complete UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Pic: Stockton's Nate Diaz celebrates "Jersey Shore"-style with Ronnie Magro at Gallery Nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada, after his big win over Donald Cerrone in the UFC 141 co-main event. "The group toasted to Diaz and celebrated with drinks of SIP Moscato as they embraced the last day of 2011 until the early morning hours," according to HauteLiving.com. Older brother Nick Diaz, Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and Cesar Gracie-trained MMA wannabe, Jose Canseco, were also along for the ride.Ron Ron Juice, anyone?

There was a big fight that went down last night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) and I'm not talking about Brock Lesnar getting retired by Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

No, I am, of course, speaking of the big Kimbo Slice vs. Charles Hackmann boxing match that was all set to light the world on fire. Or maybe just the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

Kimbo, real name Kevin Ferguson, was expected to blow Hackmann out of the water with yet another first round knockout in what looked like a comical mismatch. But that's not how it went down.

World Boxing News has more:

Slice, who turned pro in August, took the four-rounder 39-37 as his opponent frustrated him and enjoyed a good second round, rocking Slice back on the ropes as he looked tired.

Hackmann failed to land anything substantial in the following rounds but can hold his head up high after becoming the first boxer to go past the first round against the brawler from Miami.

Hackmann, a fitness trainer, will go down in history as just another one of Kimbo's victims but let us all remember his heroic effort and near monumental upset of the street fighting legend.

Watch the video of Slice doing his thing after the jump.

Six months ago Alistair Overeem did something he hadn't done since becoming a full-time heavyweight: he beat a top 10 opponent.

His victory over Fabricio Werdum wasn't pretty. In fact, it was downright boring and tedious. But beating the likes of James Thompson, Brett Rogers and Todd Duffee doesn't exactly lead to legitimacy when held up to the harsh scrutiny of your average mixed martial arts (MMA) fan.

So ugly as it was, the win over Werdum was a step in the right direction for "Ubereem" who had been carrying the label of "can killer" since his move to heavyweight back in 2007. What he began last June in Dallas, he completed last night (Dec. 30) in Las Vegas at UFC 141 when he stopped Brock Lesnar in the first round.

People can try to brush off the win any number of ways. They can claim that Lesnar hasn't been the same since his bouts with diverticulitis or that he wasn't that good to begin with. But results don't lie and with only about half a decade of MMA training under his belt, the now retired star fought at the highest level of the sport and was for a time recognized as the best fighter in his weight class.

It didn't even take Overeem half a round to beat him.

"The Reem" is the real deal, ladies and gentlemen.

Inside the Octagon last night, Overeem looked calm as ever despite it being his first time under the bright UFC lights. Many fighters often claim "Octagon jitters" to explain poor performances in their UFC debut but judging by the Dutchman's efficiency in picking apart his opponent last night, he had the exact opposite reaction; almost an "Octagon confidence."

For years Overeem has claimed to be the best. Every fight promotion he was signed to became his personal playground. He captured the Strikeforce heavyweight championship by steamrolling Paul Buentello and defended it in a one-sided beatdown of Rogers. Across the Pacific Ocean, the aforementioned wins over Thompson and Duffee were part of a five-fight win streak with the DREAM promotion.

And it looks as if he may go down as the last K-1 World Grand Prix Champion ever. It's a crown that has been held by some of the greatest kickboxers to have ever lived. Names like Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts and Remy Bonjasky are now spoken alongside that of Overeem's.

When someone has a résumé as impressive as his, it can stand to reason why he would fancy himself one of the best and why he would want to be recognized as such by fighting in the world's top promotion. The UFC houses the best fighters in the world and finally Overeem can count himself as one of them. "The Reem" didn't suffer from jitters last night because he felt that the Octagon was where he belonged; where he has belonged for some time now.

But of course, fighters can say whatever they want but without results backing it up, it's all a bunch of bulljive. I can't see what else Overeem can do following last night to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division. He took out a former UFC champion who has wins against Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin under his belt. He didn't only beat Lesnar, he retired the big man. Sure, Lesnar had already promised his wife that he would call it quits should he come up short but fortunately for "The Reem," history will forget some of the details. Years from now, people will say, "Brock Lesnar? Oh yeah, he retired after Alistair Overeem beat him" without mention of any promise.

The Dutchman hasn't tasted defeat in over four years and is now on a collision course with Junior Dos Santos, the UFC heavyweight champion who can claim the same statistic. Both men are big, tough brutes who can -- and have -- put opponents to sleep in short order.

Even in Overeem comes up short in his title bid in the next year, there's still match-ups with Cain Velasquez, Mir and even the winner of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix awaiting him. There are all men who -- like Overeem -- are at the top of their class, the best of the best.

Welcome to the big stage, Overeem. It took you a while to get here but you've proven you deserve the spot.

2012 should be fun.

The number one business story of the year was the UFC-Fox deal as mixed martial arts entered the mainstream with its 7 year, $90 million television rights deal.

The deal was an upgrade from its $35 million a year deal with Spike TV. The longtime relationship between the UFC-Spike relationship deteriorated this year with passive aggressive moves. Spike debuted UFC 132’s Countdown show during the middle of the day instead of its usual primetime placement. It also counterprogrammed UFC’s live Versus card in June with a marathon featuring main eventer (at the time) Nate Marquardt. And, of course, there is the issue of the UFC library rights.

 

Fox immediately marketed the UFC’s November 12th debut with promos during MLB and NFL games. It also ran its UFC Primetime show on an NFL Sunday to encouraging ratings.

The UFC on Fox Payout Perspective details the huge ratings Fox received for the 1 hour program which featured approximately 1 minute of actual fight action. It was the most watched UFC event ever.

FOX TV Rating Breakdown (Quarterly):

- UFC on FOX (9:00 pm-9:15 pm): 5.25 million viewers

-UFC on FOX (9:15 pm-9:30 pm): 5.48 million viewers

-UFC on FOX (9:30 pm-9:45 pm): 7.09 million viewers

-UFC on FOX (9:45 pm-10:00 pm): 4.88 million viewers

- Overall: Average of 5.7M viewers watched the fight live or via DVR playback within the same day. (Nielsen)

Via UFC press release:

The hour-long UFC on FOX premiere scored a 3.1/5 household rating/share, with 5.7 million viewers making it the most-watched UFC event ever and the most-watched professional fight of any kind on any network since 2003 when 7.0 million tuned in to watch Lewis-Klitschko on HBO.  Velasquez-dos Santo is also the highest-rated and most-watched professional fight of any kind on a broadcast network for OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S FIGHT NIGHT on FOX. (4.3/6, 5.9 million viewers) in 1998.

FOXSports.com, one of the world’s leading sports web sites with almost 30 million unique visitors monthly, also delivered substantial viewing for UFC-related video.  On Saturday, FOXSports.com tallied an impressive 257,000 total live streams for the nine undercard matches, while all UFC content during and around the event generated over 1 million streams.  Other than Super Bowl-related content, this was the biggest video event in FOXSports.com history.

The number of live streams on FOXSports.com is notable as its not usual that we see these numbers for the UFC Facebook streams. It shows the impressive numbers the UFC put up on multiple platforms.

In addition to Fox and online, Fuel TV and Fox Deportes had solid ratings for the UFC’s debut. Spike TV also put up huge numbers as it played past UFC fights of JDS and Cain opposite UFC on Fox.

We will see how the UFC-Fox relationship does in its first full year. UFC on Fox 2 is set for January 28th and Spike TV is set to counter as well. It will be interesting to see how the UFC will do on Fuel and FX. We’ve already seen a potential problem with Fuel TV as the UFC 141 Countdown show only garnered 15,000 viewers for its debut. Hopefully for Fuel TV, its January 1 UFC marathon will raise awareness that it is the new home for UFC programming.

"I felt alright. He knocked me down with some kicks and I felt that was kind of making me look bad, but I was just trying to go out there and fight, you know? Try to win wherever it went. I hope I'm like getting a number one contenders spot or a title shot because I ain't trying to play around with these funny fights no more. I've been fighting for too long and I want to fight the best guys, and you know, I think I deserve, I want to get what I deserve out of this."

-- Not wanting to waste anymore time with "funny fights," Nate Diaz made sure that his lightweight battle against Donald Cerrone last night (Dec. 30, 2011) at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem was no laughing matter. "The Kid" peppered "Cowboy" with his impressive and precise striking for 15 minutes, earning a unanimous decision victory and ending Cerrone's six-fight win streak in the process. Diaz tells UFC.com it's time that he gets his due. And his due, in his opinion, is either a title shot or a number one contender eliminator fight. Diaz, who made the jump back down to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155-pound division after back-to-back losses at welterweight, has now reeled off two consecutive victories. However, there is a no shortage of worthy contenders in the talent-rich division to challenge UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. Ben Henderson will get the next crack at attempting to find an "Answer" for Edgar, but with a dominant win over a streaking Cerrone, how well did Diaz position himself atop the lightweight ranks? Was it enough in your eyes to warrant a title shot or even a number one contender's bout? Who is ahead of him?

With Georges St. Pierre sidelined with a horrible knee injury and an interim title being fought for, it was Jon Fitch's moment to shine last night (December 30, 2011) on the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem main card against Johny Hendricks.

There were no more excuses if Fitch could put on a dominant performance, but after 10 months away from the cage and after dealing with shoulder surgery, Fitch came out a bit slow.

And he paid for it.

Instead of potentially earning a shot at the interim title in 2012, Fitch found himself staring at the ceiling and looking to grapple with referee Steve Mazzagatti.

So how did Johny Hendricks pull out one of 2011's biggest upsets? And where do both men go from here?

There isn't much to dissect in a 12 second fight, but Jon Fitch made a huge mistake. After closing the distance and throwing a few strikes, he backed away straight with his lands low. This made his face a huge target for Hendricks' fist and he made sure to make Fitch pay.

Hendricks stepped forward and crushed Fitch with a beautiful lead left hook which sent him reeling to the canvas. As Fitch began to stand up, another huge diving left hook again temporarily put his lights out and the referee had seen enough, diving between both men to put a halt to the action. After nine straight fights having gone to a decision in the UFC, it was all over in just 12 seconds.

For Jon Fitch, this was an absolute disaster. You can't fault him for not shooting for a takedown inside the first 10 seconds but backing away straight with his hands low was not the type of move a seasoned professional like him should ever be making and it cost him dearly. With his already unpopular status with both the UFC brass and the fans, he's set himself back light years in the welterweight division unless he can somehow turn himself into a finishing machine before his next fight.

In all honesty, there aren't many options for him as a next opponent because he's faced most of the top 10 already and it's unlikely the UFC wants to throw him in against any top welterweight prospects. Perhaps they could throw him against Brian Ebersole in the UFC. Call me crazy, but I think it would actually make sense for him to jump ship to Strikeforce. He could instantly be in the mix for the vacant welterweight title there and would no longer have any conflicts of interests with his AKA teammates.

For Johny Hendricks, to say this was the biggest victory of his career is an understatement. He slayed a giant, a man who had previously only been defeated by Georges St. Pierre in the UFC and it had taken 25 full minutes to do so. "Big Rig" trucked Fitch, and just like Jake Ellenberger's recent quick stoppage of Jake Shields, this should instantly vault him into the welterweight contender discussion. He displayed tremendous power in his left hand and fans are definitely hoping to see him again soon.

I think the best plan of attack would be to have him face Josh Koscheck if "Kos" defeats Mike Pierce at UFC 143. Other options include the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez or, depending on the outcome of both of those two fights, they could even give him a shot at the winner of the interim title between Nate Diaz and Carlos Condit. It should be an interesting couple months for Hendricks as this all gets sorted out.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

Were you as surprised as most when Hendricks blasted Fitch so quickly? Or did you smell an upset brewing due to the long layoff and the shoulder injury?

Speak up!

For complete UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Event: Dream – New Year! 2011 Where: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan When: Saturday 31st December Results Fedor Emelianenko def. Satoshi Ishii via KO (punch) – Round 1, 2:29 Shinya Aoki (C) vs. Satoru Kitaoka via unanimous decision – defends lightweight title Hiroyuki Takaya (C) def. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue via unanimous decision - defends  featherweight [...]

Event: UFC 141 – Lesnar vs. Overeem Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada When: Friday 30th December Attendance: 12,158 Gate: $3,100,000 Salaries Alistair Overeem: $385,714.28 (includes $121,428.57 win bonus) def. Brock Lesnar: $400,000 Nate Diaz: $74,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus) def. Donald Cerrone: $30,000 Johny Hendricks: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus) def. Jon [...]

Event: UFC 141 – Lesnar vs. Overeem Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada When: Friday 30th December Attendance: 12,158 Gate: $3,100,000 Salaries Alistair Overeem: $385,714.28 (includes $121,428.57 win bonus) def. Brock Lesnar: $400,000 Nate Diaz: $74,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus) def. Donald Cerrone: $30,000 Johny Hendricks: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus) def. Jon [...]

"Can he fight?"

The question was emblazoned all over the promotional material for UFC 81, the event at which former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar made his Octagon debut.

Ninety seconds into his bout with Frank Mir, he proved that while he could, he had yet to really get a firm grasp on mixed martial arts (MMA). That same evaluation of his skills would remain throughout the rest of his career, which came to an end last night at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem.

Following a first round technical knockout (TKO) at the hands of Alistair Overeem, the former heavyweight champion announced his retirement from MMA. In doing so, he ends one of the most controversial and talked about careers in the sport's young life.

MMA had never seen anyone quite like Lesnar in the past and will unlikely see someone similar in the future. He walked into the sport after making a name for himself in the WWE as a "fake fighter" and 4.5 years later, he steps away -- on his own terms -- as its biggest star.

Love him or hate him, Lesnar has left an indelible mark on MMA.

Despite getting his leg snatched up by Mir and tapping out, Lesnar managed to impress even his most ardent detractors with his performance. He opened up the fight by catching one of Mir's kicks and taking the Las Vegas native down before hammering down a gaggle of punches onto his opponent's skull. A temporary referee stoppage proved to be a blessing in disguise for Mir who used the time to recover from the onslaught. Seconds later, he was yanking on Lesnar's leg and causing the goliath to tap the canvas.

It wasn't exactly the debut that the former WWE Superstar had in mind but it wasn't a complete disaster either. When he stepped into the Octagon for the second time six months later -- this time in his homestate of Minnesota -- he knocked Pride Fighting Championships veteran Heath Herring from pillar to pillar for 15 minutes. The most infamous image from the fight -- aside from Lesnar riding his opponent like a multi-colored pony -- was Herring getting doubled over and tumbling backwards, the victim of a perfectly placed Lesnar punch. The win was his first inside the Octagon but it wouldn't be his last.

In a move that fudged the line between sport and entertainment, Lesnar was booked in a heavyweight title match against Randy Couture who had spent the previous few months on the outs with UFC management. When they met at UFC 91, popular opinion held the combination of Couture's experience and excellent gameplanning would be Lesnar's undoing. Instead, it was the latter's ability to learn quickly during training camps and his superhuman-like strength that would prove to be the deciding factor.

Midway through the second round, a wrecking ball of a fist crashed into Couture's skull and dropped the seemingly ageless champion. A series of Donkey Kong-like hammerfists later and Lesnar was heavyweight champion of the world in only the fourth fight of his career. It was an honor many felt he hadn't earned. If those people weren't convinced then, the champ seemed dead set to sway them with his next two bouts. A month after he captured his title from Couture, Mir became the first man to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and earned an interim title in the process. The rematch was set but for when else but UFC 100.

The second bout between the two champions would essentially be the opening minute of their first bout stretched out to fill one and a half rounds. The same dominance and brutality that Lesnar displayed during those 60 seconds reemerged at the centennial UFC event and put Mir out less than two minutes into the second round. And just like that, Lesnar not only unified the heavyweight titles but avenged his only loss as well.

His next battle would his toughest and would end up having the greatest impact on his career. In October 2009, Lesnar came down with an illness that would go misdiagnosed for nearly two months. Finally determined to be a case of mono combined with diverticulitis, the malady not only nearly ended the champion's fighting career but it almost cost him his life as well.

A year later, Lesnar made his return to the Octagon to face off against Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 116. The champ took a beating in the opening round but managed to survive into the second where conditioning proved to be key. Lesnar had it, Carwin didn't. In a bout where either fighter has the ability to put an opponent to sleep with a single punch, it didn't end with a wild haymaker or even a picture perfect jab. The fight was decided by an arm triangle choke of all things.

Lesnar had successfully defended his title twice and thanks to a Fedor Emelianenko submission loss the week prior was recognized as the best heavyweight on the planet. It wouldn't last long. Less than four months later, Lesnar was humbled by Cain Velasquez and lost his belt. A stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) followed which was to lead to a number one contender's bout with Junior Dos Santos. Unfortunately, Lesnar's diverticulitis flared back up and the goliath was put back on the shelf, losing yet another year of his career.

That sabbatical ended last night and just as quickly began once again on a more indefinite basis. Following his loss to Overeem, Lesnar announced his intention to hang up his four ounce gloves. Seven UFC fights total, four of them championship bouts. Over five million pay-per-views sold with each of his title fights raking in one million a piece.

Just like he did in the WWE, Lesnar marched in, became the biggest star and left when he decided the time was right. As my colleague Geno Mrosko tweeted, "If you took a 12-inches of my guts out ... I'd go chill in the woods, too." Lesnar accomplished more than anyone ever thought he could in the UFC and the excitement, the intrigue he brought with him every time he stepped inside the Octagon will be missed.

Take care of yourself, Brock. Thanks for entertaining us.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) put on its final show of the year yesterday (Dec. 30, 2011) as UFC 141 waged a full-fledged assault on MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A number one heavyweight contender was crowned as former K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem defeated former UFC champion Brock Lesnar in a quick and brutal first-round "Demolition."

The trash talk between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone was finally put aside as the two engaged in a three-round war that saw "Cowboy" looking worse for wear afterward, due largely in part to the pinpoint boxing strikes of the Stockton slugger.

We saw preliminary bouts on Facebook and Spike TV (here and here) for the very last time, as the early slot will now go to FX and Fuel TV for the upcoming cards in 2012.

Let's take a look at the complete list of big winners and lowly losers from UFC 141:

WINNERS

Nate Diaz -- Diaz's opponent, Donald Cerrone, came into the night riding a six-fight win streak. He was running through adversaries the way that a bull in a rodeo charges out of the gate. There were all kinds of emotions building up to this fight. Diaz doesn't care. Not about the pressure. Not about being polite. Not about what people expect of him. He looked fantastic in this fight, picking apart "Cowboy" at every turn with amazingly precise boxing.He's certainly found a home in the lightweight division, which is bad news for most fighters.

Alistair Overeem -- "The Reem" isn't the first big mixed martial arts (MMA) star to make the crossover into the UFC Octagon. Countless big names have gone before him, and the transition hasn't always been smooth. Overeem lived up to the lofty expectations and then some. Was he facing a 100 percent healthy (mentally and physically) Brock Lesnar? Hard to say. In all likelihood, Lesnar was never the same after his first bout with diverticulitis. That's not Overeem's fault, and you cannot take anything away from the guy. He fought who they placed in front of him and made short work of him. MMA fans will now get to see the two best heavyweight strikers in the sport go toe-to-toe as Overeem takes on Junior dos Santos for the championship strap. If you can't get excited for that fight, you need to check yourself for a pulse.

Jimy Hettes -- You might see the order of this list and be surprised that I went to Hettes this quickly. Truth be told, all the winners on this list could be placed in just about any order and it wouldn't matter all that much. They all were studs and had huge performances. But Hettes really stood out to me. Like many fans, I didn't know a ton about him before UFC 141. I knew he was undefeated. I knew the guy he was fighting, Nam Phan, was one of the toughest and most highly skilled fighters in the featherweight division. For three rounds, Hettes did anything he wanted. He came close to finishing Phan on numerous occasions, but let's face it, that's no easy task. Hettes' takedowns and Brazilian jiu-jitsu are already fantastic, and he's really just getting started.

Johny Hendricks -- No one was giving Hendricks much of a chance, if any chance at all, leading up to his fight with Jon Fitch. He was supposed to be an inferior fighter in every aspect. The thing is: When you have one-punch knockout power (as does Hendricks), you always have a "puncher's chance." Fitch rushed in, the way he typically does, was clipped, fell flat on his back and was finished in a mere 12 seconds. Hendricks is now 7-1 in the UFC and at 28-years old, he's still got room to improve.

Alexander Gustafsson -- This guy is a monster. At 6'5," this Swede with a crazy wingspan has the reach to hit a lot of fighters before they can even get close enough to know what's going on. He's got phenomenal power in his hands. Vladimir Matyushenko is now a firsthand witness of this fact. Gustafsson is only 24 and just gets better with every fight. Don't be surprised if we see him fighting for a title before 2012 is said and done.

Jacob Volkmann -- "Christmas" is now undefeated (5-0) as a lightweight. At UFC 141, he completely ran over Efrain Escudero like a Mack truck and suffocated him with his wrestling. Do you know that this guy isn't even a full-time fighter? He's a chiropractor! True story. After this latest win, he deserves to be able to quit his practice (or at least just do it on the side), stop fighting on Internet "Prelims" and get an opponent with a reputation.

LOSERS

Jon Fitch -- All we ever hear out of Fitch and his "people" is that he's disrespected and should be getting better opponents. At UFC 141, Fitch was embarrassed by Hendricks. To make things worse, one of the highlights of the night saw Fitch wrestling referee Steve Mazzagatti for a few solid seconds as he slowly realized that he'd been knocked out and the fight (with his actual opponent) was over. Everybody gets caught. It happens. But you talk yourself up the way Fitch does and then have a performance like that. You just can't.

Donald Cerrone -- Like Fitch, "Cowboy" was a fairly large disappointment. The disparity between the game he talked and what he actually brought into the cage with him was massive. He was outclassed from the opening horn until the very end of the fight. Though he did work a few nice leg kicks that put Diaz on his back, this fight really wasn't all that close. Maybe five fights in one year is just too many. Hopefully, he'll be able to rebound in his next showing and get back on the horse.

Jacob Volkmann -- But wait. How can he can be in the "losers" and the "winners" list? He looked great in his fight. His wrestling was phenomenal. I'm really excited to see who he fights next and how he fares. But, he's got to get better with his crowd-working abilities. After his win over Escudero, Volkmann re-visited his 2010 pitfall by making an unruly comment about President Barack Obama during his interview with Joe Rogan. I'm not even offended, it just wasn't very funny. He's a very good fighter, but kind of an awkward dude. Maybe Ed Soares can start translating for him in his post-fight interviews?

Brock Lesnar -- I held off on this one as long into the list as I could. I admit it. I was a big fan of Lesnar's. I mean, come on. The guy was like a cartoon superhero. He was built like a science experiment and had a kind of athleticism we'd never really seen in MMA. We'll never really know what his career may have been like had he been able to stay healthy. What is for sure is that he really had no choice but to call it a day after getting dismantled by Overeem. Even though he did beat Shane Carwin at UFC 116 on July 3, 2010, he very nearly got crushed the way he did by Cain Velasquez and by Overeem. You just can't take that kind of punishment on a regular basis. I don't care who you are. It's sad to see him go, but it's time.

What does your list of winners and losers look like? Leave a comment(s) to state your case!

To check out complete UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here and here.

It's been the toughest year ever for Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the best heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter of all time, losing back-to-back fights to Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson, as well as getting stopped by Fabricio Werdum to close out 2010.

"The Last Emperor" snapped the three-fight skid with a unanimous decision win over Jeff Monson just last month. And last night (Dec. 30, 2011), the former Pride FC juggernaut made it two in a row with a first round knockout finish of judo expert Satoshi Ishii in the DREAM: "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" year-end MMA extravaganza in Japan.

Our own Brian Hemminger had the complete blow-by-blow coverage of the fight between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii in our DREAM results and LIVE fight coverage post from last night/this morning.

Check it out:

Round one: Fedor stands still, but tries to land big combinations but Ishii has a high guard. Ishii shoots in looking ot take Fedor down but he gets fended off. Fedor throws some big combinations but Ishii is unfazed. A nice right hand connects for Emelianenko and Ishii is stumbled. Fedor presses forward and blasts Ishii with a huge right hand that drops Ishii and he's out cold. It's all over.

Ishii and Monson are certainly not top-ranked opponents; however, wins over them are certainly solid confidence boosters as Emelianenko enters perhaps the last year of his illustrious and legendary MMA career.

Is a move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) finally in the cards for 2012 or will Emelianenko continue to insist on plying his trade outside the Octagon until his retires from the sport?

For complete DREAM: "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" results, including blow-by-blow coverage of the MMA portion of the eclectic fight card, click here and here.

Donald Cerrone entered the cage last night (Dec. 30, 2011) in the co-main event of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem against Nate Diaz, looking for his fifth UFC victory in 2011. "Cowboy" had been riding an incredible wave of momentum and was in talks as a potential title contender.

On paper, Cerrone had multiple advantages. He held a wrestling edge, utilized his kicks more, supposedly had better striking defense and was a more technical stand up fighter.

But that's the reason they actually hold the fight, folks.

Diaz came out a man possessed and lit Cerrone up worse than he'd ever been beat before in a tremendous display of boxing proficiency.

So what mistakes plagued Donald Cerrone? And what's next for both fighters?

Cerrone exploded out of his corner, meeting Diaz over three quarters of the way across the cage , but he was met with a series of combinations that had his head snapping backwards like a Pez dispenser.

Diaz absolutely lit Cerrone up in the first round, throwing a high volume of punches as has become custom and Cerrone had no answer. "Cowboy" didn't utilize much head movement, he didn't shoot for takedowns, and he hardly utilized his kicks in the first round. Instead, he was looking to counter but Diaz was throwing so much offense at him that he never found many openings.

He returned to his stool a battered man, but at least came out smarter in round two. Cerrone finally began throwing heavy leg kicks and repeatedly connected heavily, knocking Diaz off balance and even dropping him a few times. Diaz would repeatedly fall to his back and instead of diving into his guard, Cerrone turned his back on his vulnerable opponent and allowed him to get back to his feet.

Why he did this? That's a question you'll have to ask Donald Cerrone. He was clearly losing the stand-up portion, so why not attempt something on the ground? He's an experienced ground fighter and should't have been afraid of Diaz's guard.

In round three, Cerrone went away from the leg attacks again, the one strike that was actually working for him and he proceeded to eat a plethora of punches to the face. The Stockton native outstruck Cerrone badly, 260-104 over the course of three rounds and easily secured a unanimous decision victory to jump firmly into contention.

For Donald Cerrone, there are so many questions. Why didn't he utilize his head movement? Why didn't he keep kicking Diaz's legs? Why didn't he shoot for takedowns or at least dive into Diaz's guard when he was lying on his back in front of him? Did he somehow think he could turn the corner in the Striking department and win the fight? Perhaps his extremely active schedule finally caught up to him. He certainly looked a step slow last night.

For Cerrone's next fight, here's hoping he finally takes a nice, long break. I'd like to see three months minimum and hopefully a bit more. He's got to give his body an opportunity to heal after training camp after training camp after training camp. Once he's rested up, a bout with Jeremy Stephens would make sense, as would someone along the lines of Rafael dos Anjos or perhaps the loser of Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon. First thing's first, get this man some much deserved rest.

For Nate Diaz, he put on a terrific performance and laid the wood to Cerrone from start to finish. It didn't hurt that "Cowboy" played directly into his strengths but it was still a stellar showing for the Stockton native. His offensive output is getting better and better in the stand-up, but there are still plenty of questions Diaz needs to answer about his ability to handle the top wrestlers in the division. Hopefully he gets matched up with one next time around.

Possible next opponents for the Cesar Gracie trained fighter would be Jim Miller if he were to get by Melvin Guillard, the winner of the Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon fight or perhaps Sean Sherk if he ever returns to the Octagon. It's time to see if Diaz is ready to contend.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

Did Diaz surprise you with his shellacking of Cerrone? Who would you match him up with next if you were Joe Silva?

Speak up!

For complete UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

After Johny Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch, after Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone settled their differences by beating the tar out of each other and even after Alistair Overeem body kicked Brock Lesnar out of the UFC, a wholly different type of mixed martial arts (MMA) show was taking place a world away.

The latest -- and quite possibly the last -- in a long line of New Year's Eve combat sports offerings from Japan took place in the wee hours of the morning for those of you living stateside. "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" replaced "Dynamite!!" as the year-end extravaganza but the name wasn't the only change that was made.

In addition to the usual mixture of kickboxing and MMA bouts, this year's show also included professional wrestling matches courtesy of Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) founder Antonio Inoki. While that may seem odd to American fans, having all three on the same card made perfect sense in Japan where the histories of each are intertwined much more closely than they are here in the states.

The entire event clocked in at just under nine hours, beginning right about when UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem went off the air and ending just in time to catch the breakfast menu at McDonald's. Featuring the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia and of course Fedor Emelianenko, "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" -- which translates to "How Are You! New Year!" -- provided all the action and wackiness that has become par for the course as Japanese fight fans ring in the new year.

Read on if you dare!

Starting off the show were a trio of MMA bouts in the bantamweight division. All part of a 135-pound grand prix, the first fight was a reserve bout that very well could have stolen Knockout of the Year at the last second. Ever since winning a tournament held earlier in the year, Hideo Tokoro hasn't been able to get back into the win column and that streak continued tonight when he was the victim of an absolutely brutal slam at the hands of Russian Yusup Saadulaev less than a minute into their tilt.

With the win, Saadulaev earned the right to take the place of either Bibiano Fernandes or Antonio Banuelos -- who defeated Rodolfo Marques and Masakazu Imanari, respectively -- should they have gotten injured. But the Russian's services wouldn't be needed as both winners were healthy enough to take part in the finals. There, the former DREAM 145-pound kingpin once again became champion albeit in his new, smaller weight class.

Representing kickboxing were two K-1 MAX bouts that pitted Masaaki Noiri against Kengo Sonoda and Yuta Kobo against Nils Widlund. Noiri took his bout by unanimous decision but Kobo ended his fight a bit more dramatically. The Japanese kickboxer lit up the Swede with a head kick and then finished him off with a knee that put him down for the count.

In MMA action, Japanese veteran Hayato Sakurai outlasted Ryo Chonan, earning "Mach" his first win since April 2009. He had since lost four straight which fueled rumors that he may soon be hanging it up. Picking up his second straight win at 145-pounds, Tatsuya Kawajiri disposed of Kazuyuki Miyata in easy fashion. "Crusher" forced his opponent to tap to a second round arm triangle after dominating the pace of the fight with his perfectly timed takedowns. And in women's action, Bellator veteran Megumi Fujii made quick work of Karla Benitez when she secured an armbar in 75 seconds. The win was "Mega Megu's" 25th of her career.

There were a total of four IGF pro wrestling bouts on the card but only two of them were worth watching. The matches between Tim Sylvia and Jerome LeBanner -- huh? -- and Kazuyuki Fujita and Peter Aerts were essentially a waste of time but Josh Barnett's catch wrestling bout with Hideki Suzuki was fantastic and reminiscent of the classic UWF-i wars from the early 1990s. Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba teamed up with Katsuyori Shibata to take on the duo of Atsushi Sawada and Shinichi Suzukawa. That match ended with "Saku" sinking a choke in on Sawada and was followed by an all-out brawl.

But the pro wrestling wasn't even the craziest part of the show. Just like last year, K-1 MAX star Yuichiro Nagashima was involved in another mixed rules fight that saw the first round play out as a kickboxing match while the second round had an MMA ruleset. But unlike last year where the costume play fan knocked out Shinya Aoki, Nagashima was on the receiving end of a beatdown as Katsunori Kikuno was able to get a stoppage victory in the second round.

The gems of the show, however, were the two title fights and the main event. Hiroyuki Takaya looked to defend his 145-pound title against Takeshi Inoue. Inoue is also known as "Lion" but fought like anything but. He allowed the champ to control the pace of the bout for the entire 25 minutes and offered little to no offense. It was a disappointing effort form the challenger but marks the second defense for Takaya who won the belt from the aforementioned Fernandes a year ago today.

Shinya Aoki returned to New Year's Eve after an embarrassing showing last year that saw him avoid a K-1 round against Nagashima only to get kneed into unconsciousness mere seconds into the MMA round while shooting in for a takedown. He came back in impressive and dominant fashion, beating Satoru Kitaoka in every aspect of the fight over the course of 25 minutes. The first two rounds were a grappling affair as excepted but rounds three and four included glimpses of the submission specialist's ever-improving striking.

And in the main event of the evening, Fedor Emelianenko made his return to Japan for the first time since the 2007 New Year's Eve show where he submitted human giant Hong-Man Choi. An equally impressive win was his reward as he knocked out Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii. The MMA newcomer had absolutely nothing for "The Last Emperor" who knocked out his opponent with a powerful jab that crushed the Japanese fighter's nose. Emelianenko has now won two in a row after dropping three straight during his Strikeforce tenure.

If this is indeed the final year-ending show in Japan, it's only fitting that it included a little bit of everything: MMA, kickboxing and pro wrestling.

For complete DREAM: "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" results, including blow-by-blow coverage of the MMA portion of the eclectic fight card, click here.

Former two-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion Johny Hendricks proved yet again that despite his impressive wrestling credentials, he is not a one-trick pony at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem with his 12-second knockout victory of the number two-ranked welterweight in the world, Jon Fitch.

Fitch, who hasn't been finished in a fight in more than nine years, suffered only the second loss during his stint with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Along with the ending his five-fight win streak, Fitch also said goodbye to his long desired title shot aspirations.

Hendricks, on the other hand, has now won three straight in the UFC welterweight division since suffering his first ever loss to Rick Story back in 2010 at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale.

With an impressive record (7-1) in the UFC along with taking out one of the top welterweights in the world, "Big Rig" sky-rocketed up the ranks of the 170-pound division.

He may even be knocking at the door of a title shot.

Speaking at the UFC 141 post-fight press conference, the former Oklahoma State University wrestling standout says that by doing what Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn couldn't do to Jon Fitch, he hopefully did enough to vie for the welterweight strap someday very soon.

Check it out:

"I think I belong where I'm at now, you know what I mean? I just beat the number two ranked guy. GSP couldn't do it in five rounds. B.J. Penn couldn't do it, love the guy to death, he couldn't do it. I just knocked the number two guy out in 12 seconds; you know what I'm saying? Where does that put me? Hopefully for a title, but if it doesn't, I'm going to have to go out there and prove it again."

In his lone title shot in the UFC, Fitch proved to be a game opponent when he lost to welterweight champion St. Pierre via unanimous decision at UFC 87 in 2008, while Penn fought to a draw with the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product at UFC 127.

Meanwhile, it only took Hendricks 12 seconds to get past Fitch.

With his "Knockout of the Night" bonus check in his back pocket thanks to his one hitter-quitter, Hendricks can ring in the New Year in style, while Fitch will have to go back to the drawing board and hope to climb back to the top of welterweight division in 2012.

Is Hendricks ready to compete for the 170-pound strap so soon? Or does he need to win another fight or two before challenging the champion?

For more on the fight between Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks at UFC 141 click here.

Alistair Overeem had plenty of distractions heading into last night's (Dec. 30, 2011) UFC 141 main event against former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He'd left Golden Glory, his fight team he'd trained with for years. His mother had been stricken with cancer for the third time. He'd had to deal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who was none too pleased with his decision to postpone his prefight drug screening.

Don't forget the pressure of competing for the first time in the UFC and having a shot at the heavyweight title on the line.

Despite all the pressure and distractions, "The Reem" rose to the occasion, obliterating Lesnar with a first round technical knockout.

So what strategic decision allowed him to do his damage? And what's next for both men?

Overeem was very patient early, stalking Lesnar and keeping a distance so as to avoid the wrestling shot from Lesnar, but it never really came. For some reason, it looked like Lesnar was content to stand and trade with the defending K1 World Grand Prix kickboxing champion.

"The Reem" loaded up with a huge overhand right but missed badly. This left him exposed, but Lesnar couldn't take advantage. From here on out, Overeem changed his striking strategy. The next time the Dutchman went for a powerstrike, he lowered his target to Lesnar's exposed body and found a home.

"The Demolition Man" connected with a heavy knee to the body in the Muay Thai clinch, but Lesnar responded with one of his own. Upon the separation, it happened, a massive left kick to the body from Overeem landed with a sickening thud with the shinbone making a direct hit with Lesnar's exposed liver.

The former UFC champion never recovered, recoiling and then bending over in obvious pain. Smelling blood, Overeem swarmed him and unloaded a huge flurry of strikings, capping it off by dropping with a huge punch to the body and referee Mario Yamasaki had seen enough.

For Brock Lesnar, one has to question his strategy heading into this fight. He only half-heartedly attempted a takedown, grabbing a weak single that Overeem easily slipped out of. Did he really think he could stand and trade with Alistair Overeem? Perhaps he was overconfident from sparring sessions at his DeathClutch Gym. Perhaps he was already halfway out the door and wanted to go out on his shield? I doubt we'll ever get the answer.

There's no next opponent for Lesnar. He retired from MMA in his postfight speech and if we ever see him compete against anyone ever again, it would likely be in professional wrestling. He was an unlockable character in the most recent WWE 2012 game afterall. There will be countless reaction pieces to Lesnar's retirement coming out in the next few days, so I'll let our other talented writers reminisce instead. Thanks for the memories and everything you did to help grow the sport, Brock.

For Alistair Overeem, he fought very smartly. Switching targets from Lesnar's head to his body was a genius move, providing him a much larger target. He went hard and heavy with his body strikes and it paid off handsomely when he landed that swift kick to the liver. "The Reem" didn't give Lesnar many openings for takedowns and put a serious hurting on him once he gained confidence and had sized his opponent up.

Next up for Overeem is UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. He'll battle for the title sometime in 2012 once "Cigano's" knee is 100 percent. Fans should expect to see a thrilling affair between the two most talented heavyweight strikers in MMA today.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

Were you surprised by Lesnar's retirement? Do you foresee Alistair Overeem as the new UFC heavyweight champion in 2012?

Opinions, please.

For complete UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Talk about going out with a bang.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) concluded its 2011 fight season last night (Dec. 30) with perhaps the biggest main event ever (literally), with Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem combining for more than 530 pounds of heavyweight muscle.

Despite their enormous sizes, it was what happened after their number one contender eliminator match concluded that was truly gigantic:

Lesnar announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA).

It apparently wasn't because "Demolition Man" demolished him less than three minutes into the first round of a scheduled five frames. He had made up his mind, win or lose, that this -- or his next fight against division champion Junior dos Santos had he won this evening -- would be his last inside the Octagon.

Health issues and family appeared to be at the heart of his decision -- Lesnar returned to the eight-walled cage last night after undergoing surgery to remove a foot of his spoiled intestines. The same guts that Overeem blasted with K-1 kickboxing-level kicks and knees to secure the lopsided technical knockout win.

Indeed, Overeem "swept the leg" Karate Kid-style -- and whether it was by design or not -- targeted the surgically-repaired mid-section of the former champion with powerful precision. Lesnar simply could not withstand the abuse, doubling over alongside the cage unable to defend himself or even make it look like he wanted the fight to continue.

Overeem will now challenge "Cigano" in 2012, while Lesner retreats to his remote compound in the MInnesota wilderness to lick his wounds, farm some land, kill some animals and, most important, spend time with his family.

Enjoy it, champ. It's been a tough 34-year-long road.

Stockton slap boxer 1, Colorado Springs "Cowboy" 0.

Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone talked the talk prior to their lightweight showdown in the co main event of the evening. Last night, the 155-pound duo walked the walk for three straight rounds of non-stop, back-and-forth action.

Fists, and (middle) fingers, were flying from the second Diaz and Cerrone didn't touch gloves, enduring for 15 minutes until Diaz's hand was raised to the rafters in certain victory.

Diaz came out pumping the patented Diaz jab like a piston, painting Cerrone's face crimson after only a few of them found their marks early and often. The Cesar Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt was supposed to have the superior edge on the ground, but he demonstrated once again that he didn't even need to leverage his greatest strength because of his improving boxing.

In fact, sans for a few legs sweeps from "Cowboy," Diaz never hit the floor. He didn't even really have to try to because he was using Cerrone's head as a speed bag.

Cerrone, naturally, did fight back. He had some bright spots, but they were few and far between. It was clear from the outset that he wanted to prove a point with a dominant, aggressive performance; however, Diaz just beat him to the punch time and again, sapping any momentum immediately by continuing his annoying full-court press.

It's true, Donald: You don't have to be from Stockton to be tough, but perhaps they're just a little tougher.

Reality? Check.

Former number one welterweight number one contender, Jon Fitch -- widely regarded as the second best 170-pound fighter in the sport -- waited 10 long months to return to the Octagon after undergoing shoulder surgery and assume his position atop the division's elite.

Too bad it took Johny Hendricks only 12 seconds to dash those high hopes.

That's right, the durable, predictable and agonizingly efficient Fitch finally met his match, a "Big Rig" left hand from Hades that flattened him stiff just moments into their fight. Hendricks followed up with a punch to the chest, and another missile was cocked and ready to fire before the referee in charge of the action mercifully intervened.

Fitch was dazed and confused, lifelessly wrestling the referee to the mat thinking that he was still intelligently defending himself.

Not even close.

Hendricks scored a monster win for his rising career last night, elevating his status in a very crowded (and competitive) division, as well as notched another victory for the MMA fans who criticize Fitch's style who don't understand MMA.

Fitch came into this fight needing a finish to silence those critics, but their voices will now only grow louder after getting stopped for the first time ever inside the Octagon in 16 appearances.

Fear the beard.

What happens when long and lanky meets rigid and robotic?

Alexander Gustafsson registers his fourth consecutive finish, this time against MMA veteran, Vladimir Matyushenko, who he stopped (literally) dead in his tracks little more than two minutes into their 205-pound showdown.

That's what happens.

Gustafsson, 24, took his time, circling Matyushenko, 41, and looking for an opening to bust through and begin his assault. "The Mauler," however, didn't have to try too hard because "The Janitor" slipped on his mop while charging face-forward with a telegraphed strike right into the Swedes inbound fist.

The short left jab, which landed right on the button, crumpled Matyushenko to the mat and into immediate turtle mode. Gustafsson violently boxed the ears of his fallen opponent before the referee stepped in to call it off.

Gustafsson is among the hottest prospects going in the division right now, while Matyushenko -- if he doesn't intend to retire -- will be relegated to official light heavyweight gatekeeper status for as long as he sticks around.

Look out 205-pound contenders, Gustafsson is the Dark Horse heading into 2012. And if he can notch another spectacular, high-profile win in front of his hometown crowd in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 12, 2012, it will be time to "throw him into the mix" and see if he sinks or swims.

He's special.

Speaking about special, how about Jim Hettes, who completely outclassed Nam Phan in their featherweight fight, which kicked off the PPV extravaganza.

The Ricardo Almeida-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, 24, kept his perfect professional record intact (10-0) with an absolute blowout of a very talented veteran. It wasn't even close -- several judges even had multiple 10-8 rounds scored in favor of "The Kid" when the decision was read after three relentless rounds.

It was that lopsided.

Hettes clung to Phan like white on rice, taking him down, nailing him with punches and elbows on the ground, and then working for submissions every step along the way.

Phan -- who is known for his heart and determination -- had zero answers for Hettes' smothering attack. He simply could not find enough space to work his stand up or get off his back to avoid the constant punishment. Nam Phan is not a bad MMA fighter, but tonight, Jim Hettes made him look very, very ordinary.

Breakout performance, without question.

That's enough from us. Now it's your turn to discuss UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" in the comments section below. How can the promotion handle losing one of its biggest box office draws? Can Overeem outstrike dos Santos? Is Hendricks everyones hero? And how about Nate Diaz motherfuckers?!?!

Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Be sure to also check out our complete UFC 141 blow-by-blow coverage of the entire "Lesnar vs. Overeem" right here.

While you're at it, check out our fight-by-fight recaps and immediate reactions for the UFC 141 PPV and Spike TV action:

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem:

UFC 141 results: Brock Lesnar loses to Alistair Overeem via technical knockout

Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone

UFC 141 results: Nate Diaz boxes his way past Donald Cerrone for decision win

Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks

UFC 141 results: Johny Hendricks knocks out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

UFC 141 results: Alexander Gustafsson stops Vladimir Matyushenko in the first round

Jim Hettes vs. Nam Phan

UFC 141 results: Jim Hettes dominates Nam Phan en route to decision win (Article here)

Ross Pearson vs. Junior Assuncao

UFC 141 results recap: Ross Pearson decisions Junior Assuncao in last Spike TV bout ever (Article here)

Danny Castillo vs. Anthony Njokuani

UFC 141 results: Danny Castillo wins split decision over Anthony Njokuani on Spike TV (Article here)

Last, and certainly not least, check out our complete UFC 114 results recap of the Facebook "Prelims" right here.