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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Despite beating Roy Nelson clearly at UFC 185, Alistair Overeem took some criticism after the bout. However, given the damage done in that fight, Overeem was more than happy with his performance.
"I'm very pleased with my performance obviously and the win, but also the way we won," Overeem said in an interview with FoxSports.com. "We stuck to the game plan, we landed massive shots and we did good. We did very good, and it showed. The training showed in the fight, and that's something that's particularly pleasing.
"I've rewatched it a couple of times. It was a very good performance," he continued. "I broke Roy's ribs, he broke his hands on my head, I destroyed his leg. He took like six or seven solid shots to the head. I tried to finish that fight. I was in phenomenal shape. My hat goes off to Roy Nelson, who absorbed it all. He took everything."
"It's not really healthy, but I have to say it was really good, although those kinds of fights aren't good for your career because it literally takes a couple of years off, but he took it. He didn't go down, and he stayed dangerous until the end. I would say 99 percent of the other heavyweights would have been finished."
Penick's Analysis: Nelson's ability to take punishment is absolutely uncanny, but really bad for his long-term health. Overeem did do a ton of damage in that fight at UFC 185, but some of the criticism he received is still fair. It wasn't his most thrilling fight, he took more damage than he probably should have, and had spots to take further advantage of Nelson but didn't capitalize. Still, he needed the win, he got it, and can move on in the division.
[Alistair Overeem art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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