Brock Lesnar-Alistair Overeem Gets Top Contender Status at UFC 141

Lesnar celebrates

Brock Lesnar

Winner gets Velasquez-dos Santos winner in 2012

The UFC on Thursday confirmed what most had already presumed. The tilt between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem headlining UFC 141 next month will determine the next challenger for the heavyweight title.

The timing of the official announcement comes just ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Velasquez defends the belt for the first time since taking it from Lesnar at UFC 121 more than a year ago. The UFC also announced a press conference for Friday, featuring both Lesnar and Overeem, along with UFC president Dana White, to make things official. The press conference will happen just ahead of the weigh-in event for the promotion’s network television debut, UFC on Fox, which takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday.

In his first fight back since not only losing the title to Velasquez, but fighting his second bout with diverticulitis, Lesnar (5-2, 4-2 UFC), who White said in an official UFC release is “110 percent healthy,” said he has plans beyond the fight with Overeem on Dec. 30.

“I’m not in this just to be a contender,” Lesnar said. “I’m in it to be the champion. To get my belt back, it’s real simple – beat Overeem, and beat whoever walks out with the title on Nov. 12. And that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Overeem gets nothing short of one of the most imposing heavyweights in UFC history for his debut with the promotion. The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion was cut loose from that promotion by Zuffa over the summer – while still champion – only to sign with the UFC earlier this fall.

“This fight is going to be the most important fight of my career,” Overeem (35-11-1) said. “I have one important mission left in my career, and that is to get the UFC gold around my waist. The winner of this fight gets a title shot, so beating Brock brings me one step closer to having the UFC belt.”

In addition to the main event, UFC 141 will feature a co-main event lightweight scrap between streaking workhorse Donald Cerrone, who will fight for the fifth time in 2011 and sixth time since last December, and Nate Diaz. UFC 141 will be a rare Friday pay-per-view for the promotion, which booked the date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena so as to not go head-to-head with New Year’s Eve the following night.