Round One:
The heavyweight co-main event is underway. Overeem with a kick to the leg and a big punch behind it. Another leg stomp from Overeem and soon after he launches with a big knee to the body.
In again with another knee and then back out. A cuffing shot clips Rothwell’s head. Good start for Overeem here.
Rothwell with a punch and Overeem quickly looks to clinch. They battle their and then break apart.
Overeem continuing to step in and out with strikes. Rothwell catches him with an uppercut though and Overeem’s suddenly on very wobbly legs.
He manages to survive though despite clearly being badly rocked. The action resets and Overeem seems to have regained his bearings a little.
Overeem lands a hard body kick. Rothwell not phazed though. Both men step in at the same time with a punch and Rothwell’s clips ‘The Reem’ above his ear and drops him to the mat.
Overeem is dazed and confused on the canvas as Rothwell blasts him with more shots and that’s it, the referee’s seen enough and Rothwell has just earned himself a huge TKO victory with only 2.19mins of the opening round gone.
That’s now three times in his last four Octagon outings that Overeem has been stopped due to strikes, and with his already fragile chin appearing to have completely deserted him there will surely now be questions as to not only the 34 year-old’s future in the UFC, but also whether it’s now time for him to bring an end to his decorated career.
