“Welcome to Chapter 4 of the Brock Lesnar Chronicles.”
Hey everyone, Merry Christmas to all readers of the site, I hope you all had a good one! Time to kick back and review last night’s UFC 141 from the MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On the card, Jon Fitch made his long return from shoulder surgery to take on Jonny Hendricks in the Welterweight Division, Donald Cerrone took on Stockton’s favourite younger brother in Nate Diaz in the Co-Main Event at Lightweight, and in the Main Event, the long anticipated return of Brock Lesnar, taking on Alistair Overeem in the Main Event, in a huge Heavyweight clash! It’s UFC 141: Lesnar vs Overeem, here, on The Harrison Analysis!
Jimy Hettes (9-0) vs Nam Phan (17-10) (Featherweight Division)
Round 1: Phan comes out aggressive, but Hettes gets a trip straight away. Phan escapes but Hettes pushes him against the cage and drags him down again. Hettes landing punches from the top, but Phan uses the cage to stand. Hettes trips Phan again, and he tries a gulliotine with one arm, but he lets it go. Hettes throwing away on the ground, Phan turns and gives up his back, Hettes still pouring it on, landing more punches. Hettes with the hooks in and pounds on Phan some more, but Phan turns back, but Hettes is just relentless with the punches. Phan escapes, but Hettes gets Phan against the cage yet again. Hettes shoots, but Phan gets out. Phan lands a couple of punches, but Hettes tries a single, pressing Phan against the cage again, and he gets a beautiful judo trip before taking full mount! Hettes lands a nice elbow, and switches to an arm bar attempt, but Phan clasps his hands together to block. Hettes peppering Phan while still trying the armbar. Phan continues to try to roll into the armbar, Hettes gets on Phan’s back and just keeps throwing till the horn. (10-8 Hettes. As one-sided a round as you’ll ever see. Phan got nothing of any note in there at all.)
Round 2: Hettes shoots low and fails, looks for a trip and can’t get it, and then clinches him against the cage. They break and they trade briefly, but Hettes presses Phan again and then takes him down. Phan tries with a leglock, Hettes steps away and goes down into full mount. Hettes tries a gullotine, but Phan escapes again and ends up in Hettes’ guard, throwing some elbows. Phan stands over Hettes and then drops to throw some more punches. Hettes stands, and presses Phan against the cage. Hettes goes for a trip, but Phan defends. Phan defends another trip attempt, but Hettes’ gets it on the 3rd attempt, taking Phan down. Back against the cage and Phan stands. Hettes throwing wildly and Phan lands a decent counter before Hettes presses him to the fence again. Hettes take him down again. Hettes into side control and he looks for a guillotine as they scramble. Hettes again uses his judo to take Phan to the mat, but Phan gets back to his feet against the cage as the round ends. (10-9 Hettes. Not quite so dominant, but clearly still in complete control!)
Round 3: Phan trying to work combinations, but Hettes dodges. Hettes shoots, but Phan dodges and tries another combo. Phan lands a jab. Hettes gets a single leg and then trips Phan to send him down. Phan tries to stand up, only to get nailed by a knee to the body. Phan stands, but Hettes slams him down again. Phan on the cage to try and stand, but Hettes nails shots to the face on the way. Hettes goes for an inside trip, but Phan blocks. They break, and Phan lands a right. Phan lands a nice body shot too. Hettes shoots, Phan blocks, but Hettes drags him down and takes Phan’s back with one hook in. Phan holds Hettes’ right arm, but Hettes is wailing awaythrowing with his left instead. Hettes switches to an arm triangle and Hettes gets his left leg out, but Phan defends and but has to take more pucnhes. Hettes with punches and then some excellent elbows, and he’s just firing away from full guard. Hettes postures up and lands some good shots from the guard as the round ends. (10-9 Hettes. Phan put up more of a fight here, but see Rounds 1 and 2 really. Should be 30-26 Hettes to me.)
Winner: Jimy Hettes via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
Harrison’s Analysis: Well, what a surprising performance, to me anyway. Jimy Hettes dominated that fight from start to finish, with great Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsuand just kept Phan grounded the entire time, and never eased on him either. It was like watching a Featherweight Chael Sonnen without the trolling. Phan is never able to keep up any kind of momentum in the UFC. Just give him Garcia one more time and send him on his way! ★★★
Alexander Gustafsson (12-1) vs Vladimir Matyushenko (26-5-0) (Light Heavyweight Division)
Round 1: Touch of the gloves and they circle to start. Gustafsson’s freakishly tall, at 6’5, is there a taller man @ 205? Gustafsson throws a wicked kick, but Matyushenko dodges. Matyushenko lands a straight left counter to Gustafsson’s leg kick. Gustafsson with an uppercut and a straight kick combo, but Matyushenko clinches up. Gustafsson gets free and then scrapes Matyushenko in the face with a head kick. Matyushenko continues to look for the right, but walks into Gustafsson’s punch and drops him! Gustaffson swarms, and it is all over!
Winner: Alexander Gustafsson via TKO (2:13 of Round 1)
Harrison’s Analysis: Gustaffson’s rise up the ladder continues, picking off a game Janitor. He’s knocking on the door of that Top 10, maybe give him Forrest Griffin next and see where he’s really at, as well as seeing if Forrest can still be a competitive guy at 205 in 2012. Still, another clinical performance by the talented Swede. How far can he go? Maybe this year we’ll find out. ★★★
Jon Fitch (26-3-1, 1 NC) vs Johny Hendricks (11-1-0) (Welterweight Division)
Round 1: Fitch comes out firing, but Hendricks ducks away, comes in with a left and KABOOM! Fitch is out, Mazzagatti in with the stoppage and it’s over! ANOTHER ultra-quick KO!
Winner: Johny Hendricks via Knockout (12 Seconds of Round 1)
Harrison’s Analysis: Johny Hendricks just knocked out one of the Greatest 170 pounders of all time. In 12 seconds. Okay, it was the definition of a UFC Undisputed Flash Knockout, but still, unreal stuff there from Hendricks, got Fitch right on the button, and it was a perfect stoppage from Steve Mazzagatti, he got that one spot on, Fitch was out, you can hear him ask “What happened”, as soon as it was over. I’m not going to sky-rocket Johny Hendricks for this one, but man, that was a heck of a KO. Most exciting Fitch has looked since GSP destroyed him. ★★★
Donald Cerrone (17-3, 1 NC) vs Nate Diaz (14-7-0) (Lightweight Division)
Round 1: Cerrone comes out swinging and we’re off! Diaz shoots for a takedown but Cerrone defends and they both throw on the cage wall. Cerrone lands a nice right as they break. Cerrone with a leg kick and Diaz looks to clinch, but Cerron pushes him off. Diaz with a couple of nice punches, but Cerrone keeps coming. Diaz keeps landing and now Cerrone starts backing off. Cerrone with a punch, Diaz with a knee back, and again jabs him. Cerrone landing good leg kicks, but Diaz is peppering away. Diaz drops his hands and throws a punch, but Cowboy lands a head kick and a leg kick, but Diaz just landing combos at will. Cerrone slips, and Diaz lands a couple more on his way back up. Cerrone with a front kick to Diaz’s body but Diaz lands yet again in return. Diaz with another combo, and Cerrone gets Diaz against the cage and lands a knee to end the round. (10-9 Diaz. Standing obliteration by Diaz, but Cerrone’s Iron Chin and more variety in strikes are keeping him in this)
Round 2: Cerrone with a combo to start, and Diaz lands a jab. Cerrone makes Diaz fall with the leg kick, but he lets him up and Diaz lands another jab. Cerrone drops Diaz down with a leg kick again, and clinches up, with a knee. Nate gets Cerrone’s back and gets a hook, but Cerrone reverses before they separate. Cerrone blocks punches and gets a knee to the face. Cerrone head kicks that knocks Nate down, but Cowboy slips and both arte standing again. Cerrone drops Diaz with another leg kick. Diaz landing at will again, but Cerrone with a push kick to the body. Cerrone counters with a head kick. Cerrone with a knee and he takes Diaz down again. Cerrone again sweeps Diaz’ leg out from under him. Cerrone slips on a punch from Diaz, but he’s quickly back up and they exchange again Cerrone with a knee and a punch as Diaz lands back to end the round. (10-9 Cerrone, landed the better shots, really should have gone down and followed them up.)
Round 3: Diaz lands a flurry to start. Cerrone comes in but Diaz dodges. Cerrone with a left, but Diaz lands a pair of combos. Cerrone slips and Diaz with a body kick. Diaz with the jab and a combination, Cerrone coming back with a combo. Diaz getting cocky, Cerrone lands a punch and a knee to the body. Cerrone with the leg kicks, but Diaz checks them. Diaz lands another combo and Cerrone sweeps him down again. Diaz pawing, Cerrone lands a right. Cerrone lands a knee to the body, then a knee to the head. Cerrone slips a Diaz jab and counters, then sweeps Diaz down again. Diaz lands a combo and a knee to the body. Diaz with a right, Cerrone with a knee back, Diaz with a combo back. Cerrone with a flying knee and Diaz holds him to the cage. Cerrone with a head kick and then he trips Diaz down again. They trade until the bell sounds. (10-9 Diaz. Again, just landed shots at will, I think Cerrone’s gameplan cost him the fight. 29-28 Diaz.)
Winner: Nate Diaz via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Harrison’s Analysis: A great fight! Diaz broke the Compustrike computers and a UFC record for most strikes landed in a fight, and while his punches hardly did damage, Cerrone was lit up, and you can’t argue with a judge when you’ve been hit about 190 times in 15 minutes. Cerrone probably should have followed Diaz down and pinned him down, like Stun Gun did back at UFC 125. He’s got a great ground game, why not take his superb boxing game away? Best I’ve ever seen from Nate, who clearly is better and bigger at 155. Guillard/Miller winner next? ★★★★
Brock Lesnar (5-2) vs Alistair Overeem (35-11-1) (Heavyweight Title Eliminator)
Round 1: Lesnar feints a kick and throws a leg kick. Overeem misses with a right and Lesnar not going for the takedown here. Lesnar paws at Overeem and he grabs a leg, but Overeem defends well. Lesnar with another leg kick, and Overeem is bleeding above the eye. Overeem pushes Lesnar against the cage and lands a knee to the body, Brock gives him one back. Overeem lands another knee to the body, then follows it up with some punches in the clinch against the cage. Lesnar breaks. Overeem with another knee and he stuns Brock. Overeem with a kick to the body and Lesnar goes down. Overeem swarms in with punches and IT IS ALL OVER!
Winner: Alistair Overeem via TKO (Bas Rutten Tribute), 2:26 of Round 1
Harrison’s Analysis: Wow. I’m sure you already know the news where Brock retired after the fight. Can you blame him? He’s getting older and just hasn’t got the time to learn anything new, and with his lack of chin, this would be a recurring pattern to anyone who’s a decent striker. Overeem did pretty much what most expected, block the takedown, and pepper Brock while he was standing. I give Brock his due for being thrown in at the deep end and constantly taking on the best in the sport, and he got in, made his money, and got out. Shame the fight itself didn’t live up to the extreme hype.
Harrison’s Final Analysis on UFC 141: Lesnar vs Overeem
This was yet another great UFC event. Main Event was a little disappointing, but instead, you got Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone delivering a great fight and Johny Hendricks shocking the MMA World, and giving Jon Fitch his most exciting UFC fight ever. That’s gotta be worth a watch, right? I’ve been Andre Harrison, thanks for watching, and Sayonara!
Harrison’s UFC 141 (Lesnar vs Overeem) Rating: 8.0 out of 10 – Great
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