This was one of Alistair Overeem’s best performances in the octagon. It was a return to form and Roy Nelson was a punching bag he could showcase his arsenal of strikes on. Nelson nearly made a huge come from behind victory in the end of the fight, but Overeem proved his chin and made it to the end of the fight.

Overeem did a fantastic job tonight in looking for openings and cutting off Nelson’s attack. One of Overeem’s biggest strategies was to take away the lead leg of Nelson and he succeeded that in the before the first round even ended. When Nelson walked to the center of the octagon at the start of round two, he was sporting a huge welt on his lead leg and its weakness led to a leg-kick knockdown for Overeem minutes into the round.

UFC Commentator Mike Goldberg mentioned, “If Nelson is standing, then he is still in the fight.” Nelson proved this comment true when, despite taking fourteen minutes of brutal punishment, he dropped Overeem with a left shot!

Overeem got right back to his feet and clinched for the remaining ten seconds of the round to gain the decision victory.

Alistair Overeem def. Roy Nelson by way of Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)