Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem hasn't fought for the promotion he is champion of for almost two and half years. Instead, he has opted to fight K-1 kickboxing and MMA matches in Japan. Ever since his dismantling (albeit a "No Contest" due to accidental groin strikes) of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in Dream and his knockout of premier talent Badr Hari in K-1, people began to see the potential in Overeem. However, his lack of facing top MMA talent recently has left MMA fans yearning for a chance to see if Overeem can prove himself and legitimately establish himself as a top heavyweight.
The wait is over. Overeem is scheduled to face Brett Rogers Strikeforce's May 15th event. This fight makes a lot of sense. Rogers has beaten Andrei Arlovski, and gave Fedor a run for his money in his last fight. Rogers powerful stand-up game and ground defense will prove to be a great test for Overeem, and a win will likely put him next in line against Fedor. This is very important because many fans, including myself, feel that Overeem and Josh Barnett are the only tests for Fedor outside the UFC, and we all know it doesn't look like Fedor will end up there anytime soon (unfortunately). It looks like a lot of questions will be answered on May 15th, as this will be the litmus test to see if Overeem really does have what it takes to hang with the big boys.
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