Alistair Overeem Reflects On 'Masterpiece' Knockout Of Brock Lesnar In UFC

Alistair Overeem looked back on his first-round knock out of Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in 2011, ranking it the most memorable moment of his fighting career. 

Overeem finished his MMA career with a 47-19 (1 NC) record, collecting marquee opponents as one of the most recognizable heavyweights in the sport in his own right. 

One such opponent was former UFC Heavyweight Champion and WWE legend Brock Lesnar, dropping the "Beast Incarnate" into submission with a kick to his surgically repaired mid-section within the first round. He had softened the area with knees and shots to the body, finally catching him with a left kick, Lesnar wincing and dropping to the floor a second or so later as Overeem followed up with punches to the face. 

"I get a lot of response [from the Brock fight," Overeem told "Uncrowned's" Tris Dixon. "I think that was a masterpiece. The body shots with the knee, the beautiful setup."

"Wrestlers are physically strong, but they're not used to absorbing strikes," he continued. "I had this sparring partner in my training camp who was exactly like Brock, physically a strong wrestler, actually standing up a little better. And I noticed when I was sparring him... I noticed head strikes that he could absorb... but his body was extremely weak. Just one knee would kind of take him out."

Overeem said that he formulated his game plan from that observation, head strikes were not going to work. 

"'I'm going to give him some knees. I'm going to distract him with some punches to the head. I'm going to finish him with the liver kick.' Which in the Brock fight, turned out excellent," he said.

Lesnar retired from MMA after his loss to Overeem, returning to WWE in 2012. He did fight a one-off return at UFC 200 in 2016, defeating Mark Hunt, but the result was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for PEDs.