UFC 203: 5 keys to victory for Alistair Overeem

Heading into UFC 203, Alistair Overeem hopes to steal away Stipe Miocic’s Haevyweight title in enemy territory. What will it take for the Dutchman to win?

Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

A world champion in other organizations in the past, veteran MMA legend Alistair Overeem, age 36, will finally get his chance to be crowned UFC heavyweight champion on Saturday night when he takes on Stipe Miocic at UFC 203.

Acting as Miocic’s first defense of his title, the champion will face a stern test in front of his hometown fans in Cleveland, as he tries to hang on to his belt against one of the UFC’s most technical strikers.

Overeem has been a leading figure in the world of combat sports for many years, being not only a star of MMA, but also one of the planet’s leading kickboxers. Still, there’s little doubt that a win in this bout would be his crowning glory.

With big storylines abounding in Cleveland, Overeem’s title shot is flying a little under the radar. Away from CM Punk’s debut and Miocic’s homecoming, there’s a real chance Overeem could steal the show with a resounding title win.

There’s no doubting Overeem’s abilities and the impressive range of weapons he possesses in his arsenal, but what are the elements that need to factor into the Dutchman’s gameplan in order for him to reign supreme?

Let’s take a closer look at how the fight could play out, focusing on five keys to success for Alistair Overeem.

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5. Weathering The Early Storm

When the main event gets underway on Saturday night, Alistair Overeem will have a lot to deal with. Not only will Overeem be feeling as if he’s stepped into the lion’s den as the Quicken Loans Arena rallies around their hometown champ, but he’ll have to deal with the threats Miocic poses in the early stages.

Although Overeem has no shortage of early stoppages on his record from throughout the course of his career, early knockouts have become something of a staple for the current champion, too. Seven of Miocic’s 15 career wins have come in the form of first round knockouts, and as such Overeem will have to be prepared for a fast start.

Miocic will often look for Octagon control right from the opening exchange. Although he can turn to a heavy-pressure style in an attempt to overwhelm his opponent, he’s shown himself lately to be patient enough to pick his moment to attack.

Overeem can’t afford to be reckless in his own start, as chasing down Miocic could result in a counterpunch knockout similar to the one Fabricio Werdum suffered in losing his belt to the man from Cleveland. Overeem’s power will ensure that Miocic will be wary of making early mistakes and as such, a calm and patient opening would be wise from the Dutchman.

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4. Maintaining Distance

This being a matchup of two of the heavyweight division’s rangier fighters, possessing an identical reach of 80 inches, the bout could well be decided by who manages the distance better. In this department, Overeem would appear to have a distinct advantage.

Miocic is not just a power puncher, however, as the former Golden Gloves champion’s hands are also incredibly precise. To take the fight into his domain he will need to get on the inside of Overeem, allowing him to pick his shots. Of course, that’s easier said than done with a former K-1 champion.

Overeem is arguably the most skilled kickboxer in the entirety of the UFC, and relying on that background could be key to limiting the dangers posed by Miocic.

If the 36-year-old focuses on landing powerful kicks to Miocic’s body, not only will the champion be gradually worn down by the grueling effects of those body shots, but he’ll have less opportunity to damage Overeem too. If kicks become a key feature of this contest, Overeem will have control.

Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

3. Staying Focused

There’s a certain irony in Miocic’s first defense arriving in front of a raucous hometown crowd, considering that was exactly the same kind of environment that saw Werdum succumb to him in their title fight back in May.

Overeem can certainly learn from the approach his opponent took in claiming the title for himself, and in the end, the winner this Saturday could simply be the man who manages to stay most detached from the emotion in the arena.

For as hungry as Overeem undoubtedly is to get his hands on UFC gold, he’ll be facing considerably less pressure of the two men when they step into the cage.

Eager to prove himself as the clear champion with a dominant first defense, determined to put on a show in front of his fans, the danger for Miocic will come in him trying to force things early on. If that leads to sloppy, rushed, mistakes, Overeem has to be composed, measured and ready to seize his chances.

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2. Drawing From Experience

There may be just two years difference between Overeem and Miocic in terms of age, but their journeys up until this point have been incredibly different.

Overeem made his MMA debut way back in 1999, 11 years before Miocic first stepped foot in the cage professionally. Overall that equates to the Dutchman having 56 pro fights to his name in MMA, on top of 14 contests as a kickboxer. For Miocic this will only be his 18th fight.

The experience extends far beyond the crude numbers for Overeem too. Far from your run-of-the-mill title contender, Overeem has twice been a champion in other organizations such as DREAM and, most notably, Strikeforce.

Overeem knows what it takes to be a champion and has seen pretty much all that there is to be seen in the world of combat sports. In a red-hot atmosphere at the Quicken Loans Arena, that could prove to be vital.

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1. Imposing His Will On Miocic

As I alluded to earlier, Overeem certainly can’t rush at Miocic and expect to be successful, but he must patiently control the fight with his gameplan. He has the tools and technique to pick Miocic apart but he’ll need to be at his very best in terms of execution to get his arm raised.

Opening up with a steady diet of kicks to the body would give Miocic a real challenge. Overeem is strong and athletic, and as such he doesn’t necessarily need the time and space to execute his kicks that the few other heavyweights who are capable of such strikes would require.

If Overeem’s kicks can effectively restrict the number of opportunities for Miocic to work with his hands, the current champion will be forced to dig deep and look to aspects of his game that aren’t usually his go-to.

One such area could well be wrestling. Miocic is a highly skilled wrestler as a former NCAA Division I standout, but he has often preferred to rely on his hands in the Octagon. If Overeem can frustrate Miocic into turning to his wrestling, it could also open an opportunity for the Dutchman to finish the fight with a guillotine.

Although he’s yet to record a UFC submission win, Overeem has nine career wins to his name by virtue of guillotine finishes alone, a further testament to his well-rounded skill-set. Said abilities leave a number of ways in which Alistair Overeem can pick up the win at UFC 203, but they will only come into play if he makes this fight his own.

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