Overeem jumps ship to UFC, will fight Lesnar in December

The unthinkable has happened (I feel like I have said that way too many times this year already). Here we were thinking that Zuffa was done dealing with the fighters from Golden Glory, when all of a sudden yesterday afternoon they announce that the UFC has signed former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem to a new contract.

Making things more interesting, Overeem’s first opponent will be former UFC Heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar has been out of action for a long time, due to diverticulitis rearing its ugly head on the former WWE pro-wrestler. The fight will take place on Dec. 30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and the winner will be first in line to fight the winner of the Nov. 12 fight between Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, which is also the UFC’s debut on Fox. “This is the fight the fans want,” UFC President Dana White told the LA Times. “Both of these guys are monsters. Can Lesnar take Overeem down?” Overeem’s title will not be on the line, so this will not be a unification match between the two companies, although in the mind of many fans it will be.

As for Strikeforce, no news on if their current heavyweight grand prix, which continues this Saturday in Ohio, will crown a new champ or not. Most likely, it will have to which means either Josh Barnett, Sergei Kharitonov, Antonio Silva or Daniel Cormier will be wearing Strikeforce gold by the end of the year.

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