Alistair Overeem pounds Stefan Struve into the canvas for first round finish
Alistair Overeem may best be known as a knockout artist while standing, but he can do plenty of damage on the ground as Stefan Struve found out the hard way on Saturday night in Phoenix.
The Dutch fighters were matched up as one of the featured bouts on the UFC Fight Night card, and it didn't take long for the action to get started or finished as it turned out.
Overeem came out right away and looked for a body lock before he turned and tossed Struve on the mat. The seven-footer returning for the first time in more than a year did a good job of controlling Overeem at first, posturing with his legs and keeping the former K-1 champion at bay.
It was all a matter of patience for Overeem because he was just picking his shots and pressuring the fight against the cage to set up the bombs he was about to drop from above. Overeem nailed Struve with a big right hand, straight down the middle.
With Struve's head trapped against the cage, he had nowhere to go, and Overeem just continued to pour on the punishment. Finally, Struve rolled over and the referee saw enough to stop the fight.
The end came at 4:13 in the first round.
It was a much-needed win for Overeem after going just 1-3 in his last four fights, but the former K-1 Grand Prix champion and Strikeforce heavyweight champion remains one of the most dangerous fighters on the roster when he puts everything together.
