UFC Fight Night 176: Alistair Overeem powers past Augusto Sakai and blasts his way into heavyweight title contention
- Veteran Dutchman lays out Brazilian hope Augusto Sakai with a display of pure power
- ‘We did it again – and at 40 years of age,” said Overeem as he takes his 47th win of a storied career
Alistair Overeem drew on more than two decades of experience – and on the sheer force of will he has carried with him all that way – as he overpowered Augusto Sakai with a series of brutal elbows in Las Vegas on Sunday that kept the Dutchman well and truly in the UFC heavyweight title picture.
“We did it, again – and at 40 years of age,” beamed the Dutchman in his post-fight interview. Overeem is known as the “The Demolition Man” and Brazil’s Sakai now knows why, as he was taken down like fallen timber three times, and he had to withstand blow after blow when his back did hit the mat. The TKO was called at 0.26 of the fifth.
“You could see Augusto is a tough guy, an up-and-comer,” said Overeem. “So we kind of knew he was going to take the punishment but I was very well prepared.”
Taken on what we saw Sunday – on the headline of the UFC Fight Night 176 at the UFC Apex Centre – Overeem is about another win away from maybe realising that dream. The 29-year-old Sakai (15-2-1) had come in on a 6-0 tear, and ranked eighth, and no matter what he tried, Overeem had an answer.