ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

TORONTO -- Former champions Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem will fight for much more than relevancy in the heavyweight division when they meet Nov. 16 at UFC 167. Their futures with the promotion will be at stake: The loser is likely to be released.

UFC president Dana White made that clear Thursday during a news conference to promote UFC 165.

“Definitely,” White said when asked if this is a do-or-die bout for Mir and Overeem. “Yes, definitely!”

The revelation doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Mir, a former two-time UFC heavyweight titleholder (lineal and interim), has dropped three fights in a row. He was stopped in two of those losses via strikes.

Overeem, who entered the UFC as the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, has lost two straight. In each defeat he was knocked out.

But the position taken by UFC officials results from something deeper than losing skids. Mir and Overeem are main-card fighters, which puts them on the higher end of the promotion’s pay scale. And if they aren't producing victories, they become financial liabilities.

If Mir falls short at UFC 167, the likelihood of no longer seeing him inside the Octagon will take some getting used to. All but two of his 24 professional mixed martial arts bouts have been held inside that cage. Mir is as much a part of UFC history as any fighter.

Overeem, on the other hand, has competed only three times under the promotion’s banner. But he came into the UFC with very high expectations -- and at the moment, he isn’t close to fulfilling them.

It didn’t start out that way. Overeem was impressive in his Octagon debut at UFC 141 -- knocking out former champion Brock Lesnar in the first round. The victory made Overeem the top contender and set up a May 2012 title showdown with then-heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

But the fight did not materialize after Overeem failed a prefight drug test and was denied a license to compete by the Nevada Athletic Commission. His testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was 14-to-1.

Overeem would receive a Nevada fight license from the commission in January, clearing the way for a bout with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156 in February. After winning the first two rounds, Overeem got knocked out in the third. It was the first loss of his current two-fight slide.

Hope, faint as it was in the moment Travis Browne found it, emerged in the form of a front kick.

Things had gone all wrong until he snapped off that gut-deflating kick to Alistair Overeem's midsection. Browne, 31, allowed Overeem the boost of confidence, which is just about the worst thing a person can do if they're fighting the Dutch banger. No matter what people think about Overeem in the wake of his drug issues and now, back-to-back knockout losses in the Octagon, he can still punch and hit and knee with devastating results.

And for the first half of the first round, Overeem did just that against Browne, who absorbed so much punishment it easily could be used as the counterclaim to the idea that heavyweights can't take more than one punch and survive. We know that's not true because Randy Couture showed it against Pedro Rizzo the same way Brock Lesnar did against Shane Carwin. Those were tremendous comebacks, each unique in their way. So was Browne's rally against Overeem.

The front kick appeared out of thin air. But that's what Browne wanted to do all along, it just took him suffering through a tentative start and subsequent beating to get there.

After finally managing to stand and shake off the assault from a 265-pound threat, Browne told himself he wasn't going down again. Nope, instead, he expected to kick Overeem in the stomach. And if that went well, maybe the face.

"I just felt him hitting me so I knew I needed to get up and get back to work," the 6-foot-7 Hawaiian said.

The front kick became part of the game plan because the brains at Greg Jackson's camp found Overeem's "common denominator for what he did and some of his openings," Browne said.

It was the way in which Overeem held his elbows too far out, Browne said. That led the group to think Overeem could be susceptible.

Brown flinched at the start of the fight. He backed away from Overeem's aggression, which only spurred on more attacks. For that he paid a hefty price, but it hadn't been enough. And when that first kick landed, Browne felt new life. Hope. So he kicked again. It landed. Overeem paused. Browne moved forward. Kicks were aimed at the head, and they landed, too. Finally, one connected with power, and Overeem hit the canvas.

"I kept going back to it and as he kept dropping his elbows further and further," he said, "that's when I saw the opening to the head and I took it."

Browne boasted that Overeem learned what his training partners are too familiar with.

"You can ask just about any of my training partners at Jackson's, because I've hit everybody with that shot," he said. "And they've all pretty much went down."

The win pushed Browne to 15-1-1. His lone loss: a technical knockout against Antonio Silva after popping a hamstring early in the fight. Knockout wins against Gabriel Gonzaga in April and now Overeem make Browne look like a force in the division. ESPN.com currently ranks Browne at No. 9, and he's in line to move up.

Browne said he'd like a fight with Fabricio Werdum (ranked No. 3), who has won three in a row over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Many feel Werdum has done enough to merit a title shot, and the Brazilian's trainer, Rafael Cordeiro, told ESPN.com that their intention is to wait for a five-round fight.

Said Browne: "I've never said 'no' to a fight and I've always been ready for anything they've thrown my way.

"It's definitely not out of the question."

Based on his effort so far, neither is a championship.

Hard-hitting Alistar Overeem, who is ranked fifth among heavyweights by ESPN.com, hasn’t been getting much attention leading into his Saturday night bout in Boston against Travis Browne.

Overeem sat on the podium for nearly 30 minutes Thursday during a pre-UFC Fight Night 26 media conference as other fighters slated to compete at the event answered questions about their upcoming bouts. For the guy once considered a shoo-in to land a title shot, Overeem wasn’t even an afterthought.

It wasn’t difficult to notice the lack of media interest. But if Overeem felt any disrespect he immediately quashed that notion when a question was finally addressed to him. In fact, he welcomed the snub.

“I kind of actually like [being ignored] a little bit,” Overeem said. “I don’t have to fake it too much. I can just observe it.

“I’m paying attention to the new rising stars. And that’s fine with me, for today.”

While Overeem is enjoying his time away from the spotlight, he immediately made it clear that things will return to normal quickly. Without going into detail, Overeem plans to make a statement against Browne.

“I assume [the attention] is going to pick up after this fight,” Overeem said. “I expect it to pick up after this fight.”

With lots of fanfare surrounding his arrival in UFC, the former Strikeforce champion seemed headed toward a title shot with current promotion heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez. But a third-round knockout loss to Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva on Feb. 2 at UFC 156 derailed Overeem’s title quest.

He now sits behind Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum and Daniel Cormier in the heavyweight contender pecking order. An impressive win Saturday night over Browne, however, is sure to get Overeem back in the title conversation.

And that is exactly what Overeem is seeking to accomplish, whether anyone is currently paying attention or not.

RUA NOT TAKING SONNEN’S BRAZIL REMARKS PERSONAL

Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen never shies away from making his harsh feelings about Brazil and its fighters known. He’s directed several strong words toward former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and recently has targeted former Pride titleholder Wanderlei Silva.

His opponent Saturday night is former UFC light heavyweight titleholder Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, a Brazil native and close friend of Wanderlei’s. But Sonnen has shown no interest in disparaging Rua.

On the contrary, Sonnen has expressed respect for the man whom he will face in the light heavyweight main event. And Rua, obviously, has taken notice.

“The only thing that bothers me is when he talks about my country and my friend Wanderlei,” Rua said. “But I’ve tried not to get too involved in that. I’ve tried to keep my focus on my training and make sure that I am 100 percent ready for the fight.”

After the fight, win or lose, Sonnen is returning to 185 pounds. He has lost two fights in a row, both at light heavyweight.

UFC Fight Night 26 suffers from the same ailment nearly every UFC card will suffer from the rest of the year: It's not UFC 168 … or 167 … or 166.

Chris Weidman versus Anderson Silva is a fighting fan's Christmas. Georges St-Pierre versus Johny Hendricks is Thanksgiving. And Cain Velasquez versus Junior dos Santos III will feel like a second birthday to us all this year.

Chael Sonnen versus Mauricio Rua this weekend at TD Garden in Boston sort of feels like Flag Day in comparison.

But that said, there's a lot to like about Flag Day. Top to bottom, this is one of the stronger UFC cards fans will witness this year. Some events are structured around one fight and one fight only. Boston, on the other hand, features plenty to watch for.

FIVE STORYLINES

The legend of Conor McGregor

We are all getting way too carried away about McGregor -- but it's impossible not to. Simplest way to put it: When McGregor fights, you want to watch, and when he talks, you want to listen. It's not just that he's entertaining; he has this contagious passion about what he does. During a recent visit to Las Vegas, McGregor said he was so excited he stayed up shadowboxing in his hotel room until 5 a.m. He's in a hurry to be at the top, and Max Holloway wants to slow him down.

The curious case of Uriah Hall

You hear all the time how important the mental aspect is in martial arts. Hall has shown he has the physical tools, and on the surface, nothing seems out of sorts for him mentally. But that loss to Kelvin Gastelum in The Ultimate Fighter Finale was awkward. His team said he liked Gastelum too much to hurt him. Many of those watching called it cockiness. Neither is really an acceptable excuse for a fighter as talented as Hall. Expectations are high for him against John Howard.

The resurgence of Mike Brown

Brown hasn't really been under the spotlight for years, but for longtime martial arts observers he'll always be a name that jumps off the page. Two wins over Urijah Faber in the WEC put him on the map, but truth is Brown was just one of those guys who was always fun to watch. Something went wrong along the way, and the now 37-year-old endured a 2-4 stretch amid rumors of distractions in his personal life. He's back on a two-fight win streak coming into this fight against Steve Siler.

The quiet contenders

Since 2011, Matt Brown and Mike Pyle are a combined 11-2 in the Octagon, yet you won't find them on any top 10 welterweight rankings. Neither is willing to make a big point of that publicly, but there's no question both are getting a little anxious. After his last win, Brown said, "Just because a bunch of media people don't believe I'm good enough for a title shot doesn't mean it's true." Pyle, winner of four in a row, is itching to sign a fight against a top-10 opponent.

That Faber guy is back again

You can almost see the bile form in Faber's throat when forced to answer the same questions over and over leading up to these nontitle fights. "How much you got left in the tank, champ?" "Getting close to another title shot, Urijah, what's that feel like?" "Is the belt still the goal, buddy?" We should all come to this understanding that Faber feels great, he's excited to fight, and he wants a title shot, but the UFC won't give him one yet so he needs to keep winning. This fight against Yuri Alcantara might not feel big, but it's big for Faber. Any loss is a major setback.

FIVE QUESTIONS

What does Alistair Overeem look like?

He was Superman against Brock Lesnar and Clark Kent against Antonio Silva. No stranger to performance-enhancing drug accusations, Overeem is in a critical spot. He didn't look the same in February, his first appearance since producing a high testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in Nevada last year. He told ESPN.com he would never apply for testosterone-replacement therapy, despite tests that showed low levels after his last fight. There are a lot of variables floating around. Can Overeem be Superman again in the midst of them?

Is Travis Browne for real?

Browne passes the eye test. He moves. He has heavyweight knockout power. His grappling is underrated. He seems like he's in shape, and his only loss came after his hamstring busted in the opening minute of a fight. Overeem -- whether he's at his best or not -- is going to test him, though. If Browne is spectacular, he could be the biggest winner of the entire night.

Is 'Shogun' still elite?

Rua is slowing down. It never really felt as though he was going to lose to Brandon Vera last August, but we were sort of expecting a windmill dunk and got a weak layup instead. Then in December, it seemed like he was operating on fumes against a physical Alexander Gustafsson. Three of the last five men Shogun has defeated are now retired. How worried should we be about this?

Is the self-proclaimed 'Gangster' going to lose three in a row?

Whether you like Sonnen or not, this is a man who does not avoid tough fights. He has gone from Silva to Jon Jones to a light heavyweight contest against a former champion in Rua. Sonnen is undersized for this division -- a fact made obvious by his decision to return to middleweight regardless of what happens in Boston. Sonnen can survive a loss if it comes to it, but a proposed fight against Vitor Belfort can't.

Is Michael McDonald the third-best bantamweight in the world?

Both ESPN.com and UFC rankings still have McDonald trailing Faber. Both fight on this Boston card. No doubt, a certain contingent of MMA fans would rank McDonald ahead of Faber heading into this weekend, but it's close. If the 22-year-old runs through Brad Pickett, it will be difficult not to bump him up.

WHO'S ON THE HOT SEAT?

Michael Johnson

The once promising career of a TUF runner-up has hit a major crossroads. Johnson looked like a tough matchup after disposing of Shane Roller and Tony Ferguson, but he was nearly knocked out by Danny Castillo before suffering back-to-back losses. He's still not out of his league against Joe Lauzon -- at least we think.

Manny Gamburyan

Seems like a lifetime ago that Gamburyan fought his way to a WEC title shot against Jose Aldo. Fighting Gamburyan is like fighting an angry fire hydrant; he's compact and seemingly made of metal. He also has a long history with the UFC, although a 1-3 record in his last four fights is tough to look past.

Cole Miller

Might as well discuss Gamburyan's opponent as well. These two know each other well from their days on the TUF 5 reality set on Team Jens Pulver. Now, Miller needs a win just as badly as his former teammate, having gone 1-2 since his drop to featherweight last year.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Because there's still more to 2013 than a middleweight rematch, even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes … because over the course of his career, Shogun is 6-for-6 when it comes to knocking out opponents following a loss … because two of the most explosive heavyweights are incredibly hungry going into the same fight … because Brown and Pyle are fighting each other with the exact same chip on their respective shoulders … because McGregor might be the most fun athlete the UFC has on its roster.

From the moment Travis Browne signed with the UFC in 2010, he believed he was good enough to win the heavyweight title.

Not after a few fights. Not after testing himself against the division’s lower tier. Browne says that in his mind, he was ready to wear the belt immediately.

“When you fight with the UFC, you have to be ready to fight for the championship the day you sign,” Browne told ESPN.com. “If you’re in it for the right reason, you have that heart.

“You also have to have a management to help you along, because fighters are dumb. We have that mentality. We will go out there and fight anybody, even though everybody else knows we’re going to get our ass whupped.”

Browne (14-1-1) is now seven fights into his UFC career -- but he has not fought for the heavyweight title. He’s getting close to it, though. The 31-year-old faces Alistair Overeem this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston.

Fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M., Browne is the No. 9-ranked fighter in the division, according to ESPN.com. His only loss came in a first-round knockout against Antonio Silva last year after suffering a crippling tear to his hamstring muscle.

See what the heavyweight contender had to say leading up to this high-profile bout.

ESPN: This feels like a big fight in Boston, facing a former multi-promotional champion in Overeem.

Browne: I wouldn’t say it’s any bigger than any of my other fights. I don’t put any more pressure on myself. Some people say it’s a win-win situation for me. If I win, great -- if I lose, it was against one of the top guys. I don’t look at it that way. I have a lot to lose. If I go out and lose to Overeem, I’m back at square one. Where do I fit in the division? People are counting me out and it’s like, “Bro, we haven’t started yet. The bell hasn’t rung yet.”

ESPN: You feel like you have anything still to prove to yourself in terms of, “Can I hang with the absolute top guys like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos?”

Browne: If you don’t believe that about yourself, you risk catching a serious ass-whupping. I don’t plan on catching those at all. I’m here to be a champ. I’m always out to prove something.

ESPN: What did you think of Overeem’s last performance, a knockout loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156?

Browne: From what I remember of the fight, he was winning pretty handily. He was ahead both of the first two rounds. I don’t remember if he looked good or looked bad. He was winning and that’s all that really matters. He got caught, got stopped. That’s just the way things go.

ESPN: After the bout, the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed Overeem had low testosterone levels in a post-fight drug test. Did you have any thoughts on that?

Browne: When you’re an athlete, you depend on your body -- it’s not like a freak accident with him, like, “Oh my gosh, one day he woke up and had a huge tumor that needed to be removed.” It’s pretty clear what happened with him. For me, you reap what you sow. There are consequences for your actions and he’s dealing with them. And I don’t know if he’s on [testosterone replacement therapy] now or he’s back to doing what he used to do or whatever. That doesn’t concern me. For me, steroids don’t make you a better fighter. It increases certain things that intimidate other people. I don’t care about that stuff. He’s going to do what he needs to do to feel ready for the fight.

(Note: Overeem told ESPN.com, “I’m not planning to apply for TRT and I’m not planning on applying for TRT in the future.” Massachusetts Department of Public Safety spokesperson Terrel Harris confirmed Overeem did not apply for a TRT exemption for Fight Night 26, “to the best of my knowledge.”)

ESPN: Do you feel confident in the job athletic commissions are doing to monitor performance-enhancing drugs?

Browne: I think they make it pretty easy on us [to cheat]. I think all athletic commissions need to come under one umbrella. It needs to be one big thing. One thing I actually applauded the Nevada commission on is that if you have ever been caught for steroids or any PED, you will not get any kind of TRT exemption. So a lot of fighters aren’t going to be fighting in Las Vegas anymore, you know what I mean? There are consequences for your actions. Just like we try to teach our kids every day, there are consequences. That’s the way I feel stuff like this needs to be. People need to be held accountable.

ESPN: A teammate of yours, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, is expected to eventually move to heavyweight. This might be years away, but have you discussed at all what would happen if you were holding the belt when Jones moves up?

Browne: I respect Jon and I believe he respects me. He’s kind of made comments about if I’m a contender or holding the belt, he wouldn’t make a run for it because in a way, that’s a little disrespectful. But if the cards play out and he’s fighting heavyweight and I’m holding the belt and he wants to come after it, then that’s what we’re here for. I don’t take that personally.

BURBANK, Calif. -- Tyrone Spong stands with a presence. He fights with one, too.

A legit 6-foot-2, Spong's height is aided by good posture. The well-proportioned 27-year-old Surinamese-Dutchman has made good use of his frame, and is reputed to be among kickboxing’s best athletes and technically superior combatants.

Spong is well aware of how he's viewed, and is comfortable saying so.

This is why he was driven to YouTube to search for videos of Bo Jackson after media comparisons caught his attention. He hadn't heard of Jackson, though it didn't take more than a few clips for Spong to understand why the iconic hybrid is universally lauded among the dominant athletes of his generation.

"It's not to sound cocky, never, because I'm a real humble guy," the light heavyweight said this week during a media lunch promoting a World Series of Fighting card Aug. 10 in Ontario, Calif. "But some guys are blessed with that ability. And I'm blessed even more."

The "King of the Ring" has lived kickboxing since he was 13 and randomly stumbled into master trainer Lucien Carbin's gym in Amsterdam. Carbin is old-school. Water breaks during an hour and a half of hard training didn’t happen. The gym was kept stifling, like a wet sauna. Condensation poured off mirrors and walls. If there wasn't enough steam in the atmosphere, Carbin would dial up the temperature and intensity.

Looking back on it, Spong says this style of training is "not right."

"But," he said, "for me as a young kid at 13 years old, starting like that in a gym, it gave me a mentality like I don't care what situation I'm in, I'm always going to work hard."

Spong split from Carbin a few years ago and now lives in Boca Raton, Fla., where he teamed up with the Blackzilians. Yet the mental fortitude forged at Carbin's remains deeply ingrained in who he is and how he conducts business.

Since he's gifted with the ability to copycat technique, Spong said his progression in MMA and boxing has come quickly.

"Sometimes," he said, "it goes automatically and I surprise myself. I pick it up so good I can probably teach it to somebody, too. That's not the hard part. You have to be able to apply it in that moment, under the pressure, and that's the hardest part."

Spong's focus this week is MMA.

For the second time as a pro, he'll enter a cage this Saturday against Californian Angel DeAnda in the main event of World Series of Fighting 4 (NBC Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET). Ali Abdel-Aziz, the upstart promotion's matchmaker (among other things), made Spong the headliner because it reflects his potential and the kickboxing convert is "the biggest draw on the card."

"Right now this is a step up for me already," Spong said. "[DeAnda] is 11-2; that's not a bad record. For me, I'm 1-0 in MMA. Let's not forget I'm a kickboxer, but I don't want to be labeled just a kickboxer. I'm building my legacy. I want to be an all-around combat sports athlete. I want to be the Bo Jackson of martial arts."

Splitting time between boxing and MMA, Spong has not abandoned kickboxing, though it's less of a priority, he said, because it's as natural as breathing -- all he needs to do is show up in shape. His next contest on Oct. 12, promoted by Glory, is a rematch against Nathan Corbett in Chicago.

"I've been doing it for so many years," he said. "At the same time you need something new to bring a spark. I found that in MMA and boxing."

Spong's commitment included, not inconsequentially, transplanting a life in Holland, where he and two sisters were raised by his mother in a tiny apartment, for Florida. With the chiseled fighter came his three children, six dogs and 15 finches (known for their aggressive tendencies, singing ability and difficulty to breed). Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Silva, Alistair Overeem and others have helped Spong on the MMA side. For boxing, trainer Pedro Diaz took the reins.

Spong should be used to Diaz's M.O. because it's similar to Carbin's -- ritualistic 5 a.m. training sessions replaced hotter-than-hell gyms. Known for his work with Miguel Cotto, Diaz is a perfectionist. Spong is fine with this, and his first attempt at pro boxing could come later this year.

Spong envisions opportunity and enrichment in his chosen trifecta of combat sports.

"For all the sports it comes down to the athlete," he said. "Who are you? How marketable are you? How good are you? So it depends. In all of the sports you can make good money. You see even in all these sports the guys really making the money are the best guys."

World Series of Fighting signed Spong to a nonexclusive deal that allows him the freedom to pursue other things. Abdel-Aziz said because of the light heavyweight’s fighting prowess, WSOF "didn't have the right to ask Spong [72-6-1 in kickboxing] to focus only on MMA." Perhaps it wasn't the best business decision, the promoter conceded, but it's how WSOF intends to operate. But, more to the point, Spong will have space to develop his MMA game, which mostly means getting his grappling right.

"Sometimes I ask myself what do the fans want? They want me to fight Jon Jones tomorrow? Is that fair? If Jon 'Bones' was 1-0 in kickboxing, would he fight me?" Spong pondered. "I guess not. I'm the champion. So give me some time. I'm working on it."

Six months remain until the 2013 mixed martial arts year officially concludes, but already several knockouts have left lasting impressions.

While some have been more devastating than others, timing and circumstance also are significant factors in determining which knockouts stand out from the pack. And none stands out more than middleweight contender Vitor Belfort’s spinning heel kick on May 18 that finished Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8.

The strike was quick, precise and unexpected. After it connected, Rockhold was on his way to sleep before absorbing a few more of Belfort’s punches, which forced referee Leon Roberts to stop the assault at 2:32 of the first round.

The knockout was so impressive that ESPN.com voted it the best of 2013 thus far.

Rockhold had no chance of defending himself; he didn’t see the head-rattling strike coming. It caught Rockhold just under his left ear. The kick, which likely will be talked about throughout this year and many more to come, was a thing of beauty.

In fact, everything about Belfort that evening was beautiful. His body was chiseled, there was that nostalgic sparkle in his eyes and he exuded an extremely high level of confidence that hadn’t been seen in a long time. Belfort was going to leave to Octagon victorious, and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind about it. The 36-year-old Belfort appeared to have found the fountain of youth: His hand speed and reflexes conjured up images of the 19-year-old “Phenom” who knocked out Tank Abbott in 59 seconds at UFC 13 in May 1997.

These images, however, are the reason this knockout will struggle to retain its top spot at the end of 2013. Heading into the bout, Rockhold repeatedly raised concerns about Belfort’s reliance on testosterone replacement therapy. The topic hovered over this bout like a toxic cloud and fueled hostility between the fighters.

“I don’t necessarily trust him. And I don’t necessarily trust the system,” Rockhold said before the fight. “Do I think he’s cheating? Yes, I do.

“He definitely looks bigger than I’ve normally seen him. If you see the comparisons versus back when he fought Anderson Silva to now, [and] the Jon Jones fight, he put on some serious muscle mass.”

With Belfort’s previous positive test for elevated testosterone levels and the fight taking place in his native Brazil, where questions abound regarding the lack of stringent drug-testing, Rockhold’s concerns seemed reasonable. The outcome only increased suspicion.

But until proven otherwise, Belfort is presumed innocent. And his knockout of Rockhold is the best midway through 2013.

The knockout secured Belfort’s place among the top two 185-pound contenders. He is likely first in line to face the Silva-Chris Weidman winner -- which takes place July 6 in Las Vegas.

But cries have already begun for Belfort’s next fight to be held in the United States. Each fight he has participated in this year has been in Brazil. Belfort won both fights by knockout -- perennial contender Michael Bisping went down in the second round Jan. 19. And yes, Belfort looked physically ripped in that fight.

Belfort didn’t simply beat Bisping and Rockhold; he stopped them with punishing knockouts. It’s hard to imagine any middleweight surviving the strikes Belfort delivered in those two fights.

To begin erasing doubts about the validity of his recent performances, Belfort must prove his resurgence isn’t the result of having a home-field advantage. He must show off his renewed speed, cardio and physical physique under the Association of Boxing Commission’s closely monitored therapeutic-use-exemption guidelines. Otherwise, the doubts will escalate.

---

Other notable knockouts:

No. 2: Emanuel Newton KO1 Muhammed Lawal: Bellator 90 (Feb. 21). Newton’s spinning back fist that knocked out former Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder and huge pre-fight favorite “King Mo” Lawal was a thing of beauty.

No. 3: Antonio Silva KO3 Alistair Overeem: UFC 156 (Feb. 2). “Bigfoot” Silva earned a rematch and title shot against Cain Velasquez with an impressive third-round stoppage of top contender Alistair Overeem.

No. 4: Muhammed Lawal KO1 Seth Petruzelli: Bellator 96 (June 19). Lawal makes his second appearance on the KO list, but as the winner this time. His first-round knockout of Seth Petruzelli was about as brutal as they come.

No. 5: Mark Hunt KO3 Stefan Struve: UFC on Fuel 8 (March 2). Stefan Struve suffered a broken jaw and a hit to his title contendership at the heavy hands of Mark Hunt.

LAS VEGAS -- UFC heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Antonio Silva would have no issue meeting one another in the Octagon if a title were on the line.

Silva (18-4) will challenge current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 160 on May 25. Dos Santos (15-2) is scheduled to face Mark Hunt on the same night, in a bout that could produce the division’s next No. 1 contender.

That means should both Brazilians post a win in Las Vegas, their paths could collide. A potential problem, because the two are friends and occasional training partners.

With a UFC title involved, however, both men say they would accept the matchup.

"Well, we’re going to fight," said Dos Santos, when asked what would happen if he and Silva won. "For the title, we’re going to fight. We’re good friends and part of the same team, but he has to think about his family and I have to [do the same]."

Silva, who earned the No. 1 contender position with an upset knockout victory over Alistair Overeem in February, agreed.

"It’s tough because I love this guy," Silva said. "When you fight people you love, it’s very hard, but I’m a professional. I have many things to support."

The two train with one another as members of Team Nogueira. Dos Santos said the friendship goes back four years.

Both agreed nothing could happen in the Octagon that would be worse than what occurs during a typical sparring session between them.

"[The sparring] is worse than the fight," Dos Santos said.

Dos Santos had originally been scheduled to fight Overeem on May 25, but that fight fell through because of injury.

The former champion, who surrendered the belt to Velasquez after a decision loss at UFC 155, said he never considered waiting for Overeem to return from injury and expects to fight Silva next, once his teammate wins the belt.

"I don’t care about Alistair Overeem," Dos Santos said. "He’s a joker. If he was the champion, it would be my pleasure to wait for him, but he’s nobody in the division.

"I’m rooting for [Silva]. I hope and I think he will be the champion and when we have the fight I think we will do very well."

Times like this, we’re reminded of words from the great philosopher Ferris Bueller, who warned us in his landmark 1986 work that, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Mixed martial arts fans who took an eye off the ball for even a moment this week might’ve missed the whirlwind saga leading up to Saturday’s confirmation that, yes, Mark Hunt will indeed face Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 in May.

Even by the standards of our sport’s frenzied (and often absurd) news cycle, this story was a doozy. It moved so quickly and changed so many times it was hard to track using old-fashioned methods like the written word.

Believe me, I know, this is the fourth time I’ve written this blog.

It began on Wednesday, with a vocal faction of fans virtually quaking with excitement at the notion Hunt might step in for the injured Alistair Overeem to take on dos Santos, in what might well turn out to be a heavyweight title eliminator. As groundswells nearly always do in MMA, the idea began on social media and the chorus quickly spread to include a handful of journalists who all thought Hunt was perfectly fit for a replacement role.

Things got dicey on Thursday when a short-lived Twitter kerfuffle briefly appeared to put UFC president Dana White and the 38-year-old “Super Samoan” at odds. For the sake of brevity, here’s a recap of the situation in fewer than 140 characters: After the UFC announced JDS would wait for Overeem, White said it was because Hunt turned down the fight. Hunt disagreed. Hence: An impasse.

It was all very breathless stuff, especially since just a day before, when the idea of Hunt-versus-dos Santos first began making the rounds online, Hunt told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani to bring it on. “I'm always down for a battle,” he said. “I was born down. You know this." After Hunt responded to White’s statements with tweets insisting he’d never turned down a fight in his career, it appeared as if we had a veritable MMA soap opera playing out before our very public eyes.

It lasted all of an hour. One of the UFC’s specialties has always been putting out fires and this one took just 14 words to diffuse: “Mark Hunt and I just got off the phone and had a GREAT conversation,” White tweeted late Thursday night, just as the Internet gossip mavens began to sink their teeth in.

So, crisis resolved. The UFC and the most surprising heavyweight star on its roster were back on the same page. A day or so after that, here we are: Hunt-JDS is back on, too.

Thank goodness.

Even though we took a roundabout path to get here, booking this fight was the right move.

There would have been nothing wrong with waiting for Overeem to get healthy, of course. His bout with dos Santos would still have had all the trappings of an epic showdown whenever and wherever it finally happened. Still, elevating Hunt is a slam dunk, especially knowing the UFC’s distaste for delays, its fondness for guys who’ll “step up” when needed and its track record for giving its fans the fights they want to see.

There can be no denying that Hunt has earned this opportunity. His four-fight win streak is the second-longest in the heavyweight top 10, behind only Daniel Cormier’s 11-0 run. He’s captured the imagination and support of fans during the past two years by crafting one of the sport’s most improbable comeback stories. So far, he’s succeeded in a modern heavyweight landscape in which athletes of his particular ilk -- read: plodding and fairly one dimensional -- aren’t supposed to be up to snuff.

That’s precisely why the ensuing brawl with dos Santos will be so interesting. Because Hunt is such a throwback (and because of the six-fight losing streak that dogged him from 2006-10), there remains some uncertainty about how seriously to take him as a contender.

When he debuted at No. 9 on the ESPN.com heavyweight Power Rankings last week following his third-round knockout of Stefan Struve, it was the kind of thing that made you look twice. Mark Hunt, a top-10 heavyweight? It just sounded wrong, yet there he was on the list -- career .563 winning percentage and all -- sandwiched between Roy Nelson and Josh Barnett.

In fighting JDS, the perennial underdog Hunt gets his chance to prove that he belongs among the 265-pound division’s elite. In a sport where too often it feels like we’re trying to sort out who’s cheating, who’s got beef and who’s about to get cut, this is news we can all feel good about.

Now we just sit back and pray it doesn’t change again before May 25.

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva seemed to take particular joy in knocking out Alistair Overeem on Saturday at UFC 156.

Even though the official stoppage came less than 30 seconds into the third round, it somehow looked like Silva took his sweet time once he had Overeem hurt, as if he wanted to savor the moment. By the time referee Herb Dean jumped in to physically restrain him, Bigfoot had already given the erstwhile No. 1 contender to the UFC heavyweight title a few shots for good measure, including one where he appeared to prop Overeem up with his left hand in order to slip in one final right. Even after Dean pulled him off, the Brazilian wanted more, charging back at his prone opponent and shouting things we can only assume were not compliments.

Was it a tad over the line? Maybe, but put yourself in Silva's size-16s, and it's easy to understand the outpouring of emotion.

For years he's been shortchanged as too slow, too plodding and too predictable to compete with the best in MMA. In the wake of his UFC 156 booking, it's even starting to feel like he's the fighter promoters like to call when they need a fall guy for one of their stars. Take a look at his five most recent fights, and it's hard to find one that Bigfoot was actually "supposed" to win.

He fought Fedor Emelianenko in the opening round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, when "The Last Emperor" was coming off his first loss in 10 years and the pre-fight hype mostly concerned the company's efforts to set up a pay-per-view pitting Fedor against Overeem. Then, after the tournament bracket went kablooey, Bigfoot was tabbed to face Daniel Cormier, the hotshot late entry who went on to win the whole thing.

Silva's UFC appearances have been even less auspicious: facing Cain Velasquez in the heavyweight champion's first fight after initially losing the title to Junior dos Santos; taking on Travis Browne in a bout that was supposed to put the Hawaiian on the heavyweight map; and finally, getting the call to serve as the 6-foot-4, 280-pound appetizer to Overeem's run at the title.

For a guy as tough and proud as Silva, his perennial underdog status must sting a bit, and the Overeem situation was likely the most difficult of all. The two were originally slated to fight in the semifinals of the Strikeforce tournament, but then Overeem withdrew (because of a toe injury or because of scheduling conflicts -- it was never clear) and somehow vaulted directly into the Octagon, while Silva was left to languish with the rest in San Jose.

More recently, Overeem displaced him from his normal training camp with Florida's Blackzilians, characterized him as "a big target" during pre-fight interviews and showed him no respect once the bell rang, hanging his hands around his waist as if daring him to take his best shot. None of the six ESPN analysts on our panel picked Silva to win this fight, and after opening as a 2-to-1 underdog, he dropped to 3-to-1 by fight night because nobody else was betting on him, either.

Overeem had been all but preordained as Velasquez's next challenger, the UFC likely already salivating over a big money showdown between the two later this year. Yet, on Saturday night, when the time did come for everybody to throw their best shots, it turned out to be Overeem who couldn't take them.

Hence, Bigfoot losing his cool a little bit there at the end.

Still, we all got the message: Go ahead, shortchange him all you want due to his ponderous style, his recent back-to-back losses or his physical appearance, but you know what he's really bad at?

Being a patsy.

Turns out Silva is a really terrible fall guy.

All those fights Silva was "supposed" to lose during the last couple of years? He won more than he lost. He's 5-3 in his combined UFC/Strikeforce career dating back to 2009 and now has the same number of wins in the Octagon as were going to fetch Overeem a title shot had things gone according to plan.

Silva won't get one, obviously. Somehow, we're still not buying him as one of the UFC's best heavyweights and, anyway, he just lost a bloody, lopsided bout with Velasquez last May.

A rematch certainly wouldn't go any differently. Just like Silva certainly wasn't going to beat Overeem, Browne or Emelianenko.

LAS VEGAS -- Ricardo Lamas was in Las Vegas for UFC 156 Saturday night. He was the first upset. By the time the smoke cleared and everything we presumed to be the case no longer was, he tweeted out a simple statement.

“What am I, a mirage?”

Lamas was on hand presumably to challenge the winner of the featherweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo. But was Lamas really ever there? Aldo earned the decision, yet before Dana White could hit the microphone at the postfight news conference, the UFC president had received a tantalizing text from Anthony Pettis saying he wants to come down to 145 pounds and challenge Aldo next.

Boom. The UFC owes Pettis a title shot. Bells went off in White’s head. We know this because he shared the text with the media. What a sick fight that would be. ... We all thought it. Benson Henderson is busy with Gilbert Melendez; so, Pettis versus Aldo solves conundrums. Pettis and Aldo turns the neat trick of having last week’s UFC on Fox 6 winner, Lamas -- who triumphed over former contender Erik Koch -- vanish before our eyes.

And you know what? This was the most normal thing that happened Saturday night.

All the other scenarios, dangling carrots and conditional promises didn’t go according to plan. In fact, the underdogs and Strikeforce refugees made things downright chaotic.

Let's start with Alistair Overeem. He just got too comfortable in there with Antonio Silva, just too incautious. A couple of times, "The Reem" exposed his chin and dropped his hands altogether. At the end of the second round he gave Silva a smile and a casual nod. He did everything but blow him a kiss. Minutes later he was converted into a Monday morning GIF, getting chopped down early in the third round by Silva’s unmistakable cinderblock hands.

And now matchmaker Joe Silva has to prove that he’s good in a scramble.

Just like the middleweight division a couple of weeks ago, when it was Michael Bisping’s title shot to lose against Vitor Belfort, the scenario was simple: Once Overeem takes care of Silva, he gets to fight Cain Velasquez for the title.

Then, like Bisping, he loses (spectacularly), and the question becomes: Who’s next for Velasquez? "Bigfoot" Silva again? He lost to Velasquez nine months ago while floating in a warm pool of his own blood. That isn’t a rematch that people will be (or should be) pining for. But neither does it make complete sense to roll out Velasquez/Junior dos Santos III. Too soon. Daniel Cormier won’t fight his AKA teammate Velasquez. Fabricio Werdum is tied up with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Josh Barnett isn’t here or there yet.

Who does that leave? Roy Nelson?

Then there is the ongoing Anderson Silva sweepstakes, in which Rashad Evans figured he was in the bag. Should he take care of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, he would be considered for a title shot at 185 pounds against Silva. We wondered all week: Can he make the weight to fight Silva? Turns out we should have been wondering if he could make it past Lil Nog.

Nogueira did his Nogueira magic and kept Evans at bay with jabs and straight lefts. He thwarted, he stuck, he toiled. Meanwhile, Evans kept roaring his engine in the garage, yet never came peeling out of it. He was setting up for something that never happened. He was tentative, and he lost. White wondered out loud whether Evans had “lost that hunger.”

So, no Evans-Silva. Which means we’re looking at contender Chris Weidman against Silva by way of attrition. Weidman was the original mirage, but it looks like he’s finally materialized as the guy to next face Anderson Silva.

Then again, it’s hazardous to take too much for granted. Bobby Green choked out Jacob Volkmann. Yves Edwards lost to Isaac Vallie-Flagg. Demian Maia “out-Fitched” Jon Fitch. This is a volatile, ever-changing, rarely predictable game.

And if UFC 156 taught us anything, it was that Lamas wasn’t the only mirage on Saturday night -- turns out everything we expected to be on Sunday was a mirage, too.

LAS VEGAS -- It's never a fighter’s intent to give his opponent extra motivation, unless of course you’re heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem and you just don’t respect the other guy.

Lack of respect is almost certain to serve as extra motivation for any fighter, and Overeem’s opponent Saturday at UFC 156 -- Antonio Silva -- was no exception. But Silva and fellow Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who faced former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, didn’t need antagonism from their foes to give them an extra adrenaline pump. The promotion had done that for them.

Before their main-card bouts at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Overeem and Evans were being offered UFC title shots if they managed to win their respective fights. No such promises were made to Silva and Nogueira.

Whether intended or not, they were on the show as fodder for Overeem and Evans. According to the UFC’s master plan, the Brazilians were on hand to take their beatings like men, get paid, go home and wait by the phone to learn of their next fight -- and who knows when that would have been? Silva and Nogueira weren’t the stars at UFC 156; that distinction was reserved for the guys standing across the cage from them.

The nerve of UFC: making title-shot plans without first consulting with "Bigfoot" and Lil Nog.

But Silva and Nogueira are proud men. They are also company guys, so neither made any verbal stink before fight night. Each would have his say inside the Octagon, however, and UFC officials weren’t going to like the messages being delivered.

It took Silva some time to express himself against Overeem. He was behind after two rounds, in a bout that lacked much excitement up until that point. But in the third, Silva made his feelings known. He delivered a vicious overhand right to Overeem’s head, followed by several more hard punches.

The trash-talking, overconfident Overeem slumped to the canvas, virtually unconscious. And while in that feeble position, Silva stood over him, screaming at him to get up.

“Many people did not believe in [me],” Silva said after tossing a monkey wrench into the UFC’s heavyweight title plans. “But I believed in me.

“

Alistair did not respect me. But I worked hard on my striking for this fight. I showed the world a lot about me. And I specifically showed Overeem how to respect another fighter.

” -- Antonio Silva, on defeating a disrespectful Alistair Overeem

“Alistair did not respect me. But I worked hard on my striking for this fight. I showed the world a lot about me. And I specifically showed Overeem how to respect another fighter.”

He also showed -- better yet taught -- UFC officials a thing or two about going public with potential title-fight plans before all the ducks are in a row.

In fairness, Silva’s knockout of Overeem was highly unforeseeable. But a Plan B should have been in place and made known to the public, at least to save face.

Now UFC decision-makers find themselves in the awkward position of scrambling to find a suitable opponent for Cain Velasquez.

Silva’s upset win exposes a topic that has been swept under the rug in recent months -- UFC’s heavyweight division still has a dearth of title-worthy contenders, despite the addition of Strikeforce fighters. That shallow well has UFC scrambling to find a suitable replacement for Overeem.

White hinted at Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier as the most deserving opponent for current champion Velasquez, but he’ll have a difficult time making that fight a reality. Cormier has stated repeatedly that he will not fight his American Kickboxing Academy teammate and close friend.

So determined is Cormier never to step in the cage opposite Velasquez -- and vice versa -- that he’s already begun the process of cutting weight for an eventual showdown with light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones. In other words, good luck UFC getting Velasquez and Cormier on a billboard facing one another.

The news wasn’t all bad Saturday night for UFC. While Evans was looking at a possible middleweight showdown with that division’s titleholder, Anderson Silva, top contender Chris Weidman is a solid option.

No timetable can be set for that fight until more is known on the progress of Weidman’s recovery from shoulder surgery. Silva-Evans, however, was gaining traction and would have generated a lot of fan interest.

Giving Evans hope of a 185-pound title shot seemed like a nice gesture initially. But no one took time to consider Nogueira’s feelings. He was the forgotten man at UFC 156. There were no high-profile stories written about him, nor was anyone suggesting that he receive title-shot consideration with an upset of Evans.

Nogueira is a quiet, sensitive man, who used the prefight slight as motivation. And it worked to his benefit as he utilized a stiff right jab, a hard straight left and picture-perfect takedown defense to register a unanimous-decision win.

“[Offering Evans a title shot] motivated me a lot because before he could fight Anderson Silva, he had a big fight against me,” Nogueira said. “I worked a lot on my wrestling skills and my boxing. I know I was very ready for this.”

Silva and Nogueira might have felt a bit slighted by UFC, but each used it to their advantage Saturday night.

Intended or not, making prefight title-shot plans public can work against UFC’s interest. But on second thought, it can also work in the promotion’s favor -- an entertaining heavyweight fight developed due to Silva’s added desire to silence Overeem.

And Nogueira used his extra incentive to become relevant again. He certainly won’t be the forgotten man the next time he’s slated to appear on a UFC card.

9: Takedowns defended by Jose Aldo. Frankie Edgar got off to a slow start on the feet, and did not attempt a takedown in Round 1. In Rounds 2-5, Edgar attempted 11 takedowns but only succeeded on two. Although Edgar was the first Aldo opponent to score multiple takedowns on Aldo, opponents are now 5-for-66 in takedowns against the featherweight champion in his UFC/WEC career (92 percent takedown defense).

6: Fight-of-the-night bonuses for Edgar, tying him with Chris Lytle for most in UFC history.

34: Leg kicks thrown by both Aldo and Edgar. Aldo outlanded Edgar 7-4 with leg kicks over the first two rounds, including one that sent the former lightweight champion stumbling. But Aldo changed his approach the remainder of the fight, landing just one leg kick while the challenger landed 21 of 24 in the final 15 minutes of action.

1: Takedowns for Rashad Evans. Previously, “Suga” was 9-0-1 in fights in which he took his opponent down at least once. Nogueira had been taken down 12 times in five UFC appearances, but stopped four takedowns against the former Michigan State wrestler.

4: Former champions Antonio Silva has beaten in his MMA career. “Bigfoot” also has victories over former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko as well as former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Ricco Rodriguez.

36: Significant strike advantage for Alistair Overeem through two rounds. In Round 1, Overeem outlanded Silva 22-3 in significant strikes. Round 2 was no different as Overeem had a 27-4 advantage. But in the third, “Bigfoot” hit Overeem with 14 of 20 significant strikes (70 percent), putting the “Demolition Man” down for good.

11: Overeem’s unbeaten streak coming into the fight with Silva. His previous loss was to Sergei Kharitonov in September 2007 (also by KO/TKO). Seven of Overeem’s 12 career losses have come by way of KO or TKO.

12: Career UFC wins for Demian Maia, the second most in the UFC since 2007 behind middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Maia is now on a three-fight win streak since moving to the welterweight division.

7: Takedowns allowed by Jon Fitch, the most he’s allowed in a three-round fight. Fitch also allowed seven to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87, but that fight was a five-round title fight.

57: Significant strikes landed by Joseph Benavidez, the most in his WEC/UFC career. The Alpha Male product mixed up his attack, hitting McCall with 33 strikes to the head, and 12 each to the body and legs.

LAS VEGAS -- UFC 156 was turning into a showcase for upsets when featherweight champion Jose Aldo stepped in the Octagon to face former lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar.

Heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem showed no respect for Antonio Silva and paid a hefty price -- getting knocked out in the third round. The loss ended Overeem’s hopes of facing champion Cain Velasquez.

But Overeem wasn’t the only heavy favorite at Mandalay Bay Events Center pinning a win on a potential big payday. Former light heavyweight titleholder Rashad Evans was promised an offer to face middleweight champion Anderson Silva at 185 pounds if he defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

To his credit, Evans showed Nogueira much respect leading into their three-round, co-main event. But Nogueira outboxed Evans en route to a unanimous decision.

Two big favorites, two big upsets. Then, it was Aldo’s turn. He was favored to retain his title. But with what had taken place in the cage minutes earlier, the arena was primed for one more upset.

But Aldo was having none of it. He refused to be an upset victim. He strolled into the cage beaming with confidence, a huge smile on his face and pep in his step. Aldo also had a tremendous speed advantage, something Edgar could always count on against lightweight foes.

The featherweight champion made Edgar look painfully slow, repeatedly beating him to the punch and kick in the first round. Aldo hit Edgar flush with straight right hands, and a left kick to the ribcage left a bruise on the former 155-pounder’s body.

By the end of the opening round Aldo was so impressed with his work, he bore a confident smile on his face as he returned to his corner. The confidence and swagger remained throughout the second round as Aldo controlled the action.

Heading into the third, a stream of blood was flowing from Edgar’s nose. And anyone who has ever witnessed an Edgar fight knows things don’t begin until the blood flows. Undaunted, Edgar picked up his attack and began landing strikes of his own. He landed punches, kicks and even attempted a few takedowns.

The slight smile on Aldo’s face was no more; Edgar had earned his respect. He’d also earned the respect of a large number of fans, who began chanting "USA! USA! USA!"

And Edgar gave them reason to be optimistic as he marched forward and gave as good as he received throughout the latter stages of the fight. In the final two rounds, Edgar gave Aldo reason for concern. Edgar was the more aggressive fighter and arguably won each of the championship rounds.

After five rounds of action, more blood was flowing from Edgar’s nose and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. He finished strong but wasn’t able to join in on the upset party at UFC 156 -- the judges scored the fight for Aldo 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Still, Edgar had stated his case: He is a force at featherweight.

He also gained Aldo’s full respect.

“Frankie is a great fighter,” said Aldo, who improved to 22-1. “He was preparing for my kicks and trying to take me down, so I stopped throwing them.”

Like the champion he is, Edgar did not dispute the decision. The fight was close and could have gone his way -- at least on two of the judges’ cards, but Edgar has been here before.

“It was a close fight,” Edgar said. “I keep finding myself in these positions. He won the fight. Jose is the winner.”

Edgar (14-4-1) will learn from this loss against arguably the most skilled fighter he has ever faced and come back stronger and better.

This was Edgar’s debut at 145 pounds, and, as usual, he was the smaller man in the cage Saturday night. But that’s nothing new. When he fully adjusts to the weight class, expect him to make a serious run at calls capturing that belt.

As for Aldo, the pro-Edgar crowd booed him after the judges’ decision was read. But he proved that it will be very difficult for anyone at 145 to dethrone him.

It might also be very difficult for lightweights to upend him when he eventually calls that division home.

LAS VEGAS -- How big a favorite is Alistair Overeem heading into his heavyweight bout Saturday night against Antonio Silva? UFC president Dana White revealed Thursday that promotion officials have already begun plans for Overeem to face champion Cain Velasquez sometime this year.

Those plans are contingent, of course, on Overeem leaving UFC 156 victorious.

The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion is so confident that he will not upset UFC’s plans that he is already talking about fights with Velasquez and former UFC titleholder Junior dos Santos.

“Those are the two fights [Velasquez and dos Santos] I want most,” Overeem recently told ESPN.com. “I have unfinished business with dos Santos.”

What about Silva? Overeem seems to be quite dismissive of him. He’s even expressed confidence in beating Silva standing or on the ground.

During a prefight photo staredown Thursday at Mandalay Bay, Overeem made a threatening gesture toward Silva and delivered a stern warning. “I’m going to destroy you,” Overeem said to Silva, according to White.

Silva was unfazed and told Overeem, "You better start respecting me."

Being the underdog and not receiving respect from his opponent, Silva intends to quash Overeem’s title aspirations. Silva believes the outsiders have it all wrong by making him an underdog in this fight.

If they had looked closer at Overeem’s losses and the skill set of his conquerors, they would realize that Silva has the tools to win this showdown. Silva is a powerful striker with solid jiu-jitsu skills -- a combination that the Brazilian believes is Overeem’s Kryptonite.

“He’s fought a lot of Brazilian guys, a lot of jiu-jitsu guys -- [Antonio] Rogerio [Nogueira], [Ricardo] Arona and [Mauricio] “Shogun” [Rua]. All have good ground games, and he lost to those three guys,” Silva told ESPN.com. “If he thinks he’s better than me on the floor, OK. Let’s go! Put me on the ground, and we will fight on the ground.

“He’s a great striker; he’s a K-1 champion. I respect him a lot. But this is a heavyweight fight. One punch can determine the fight, and I have heavy hands. So I’m not afraid of his striking.”

There is another area that Silva believes will prove to be Overeem’s Achilles’ heel -- cardio. Since June 2008, Overeem has gone beyond the first round once -- and that came against Fabricio Werdum in June 2011.

Overeem won that fight by unanimous decision but struggled with his cardio in the latter rounds, especially the third. Silva expects to be the fresher fighter if Saturday’s bout goes into deep waters.

“I’ve trained to go five rounds,” Silva said. “I’m very well. I feel good. My cardio is better than before. I know he is dangerous in the first 2-3 minutes because he comes in fresh and strong. But if this fight goes into the second and third rounds, it will be best for me.”

Nogueira unnerved by Silva-Evans talk

He’s the forgotten man at UFC 156. With so much talk the past few weeks about former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans possibly moving to 185 and facing middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva, no one seems interested in Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

White made it known Thursday that if Evans defeats Nogueira in their co-featured bout Saturday night, he will be offered a middleweight title shot.

The only thing Nogueira can reasonably expect should he beat Evans is another fight inside the Octagon. That’s it.

But Nogueira is OK with that. He doesn’t feel disrespected and understands the situation.

“[Rashad] is a former champion. That’s why he is in position to force a fight with Anderson Silva,” Nogueira told ESPN.com. “I’m not in the same position because I’m not a former champion.

“That’s why the people are talking more about him and not about me. But I’m going to prove myself Saturday night. I’m going to do my job.”

Nogueira, who has not fought since December 2011 when he knocked out former 205-pound champion Tito Ortiz in the first round at UFC 140, has worked on improving his takedown technique. He expects the extra work to come in handy against a highly skilled wrestler like Evans.

Quick hits

• Moving down a weight class doesn’t change much for Frankie Edgar in the size department. As is usually the case, Edgar expects to be the smaller man in the cage Saturday night when he faces featherweight champion Jose Aldo. “I don’t think I’ve ever been the bigger guy in an MMA fight,” Edgar said. “From what I understand, he’s [Aldo] cutting more weight than I am. So he will probably be a little bit bigger than me but not as big as everyone else.”

• Former top Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley is ecstatic about entering the Octagon. But Woodley will enter Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday with a sour taste in his mouth. In his final Strikeforce bout, he was knocked out in the fourth round by Nathan Marquardt. Woodley, however, is looking on the bright side. He learned from that loss and vows not to make the same mistakes against Jay Hieron, whom he faces at UFC 156. “When I stuck to the game plan, pressed forward and did what I do best, I had great success,” Woodley told ESPN.com. “But when I backed up and relaxed a little bit, that’s when he got off. So I have to stick to the game plan, stick to my guns and do what I do best, and if I do that against any welterweight, I will be fine.”

• White isn’t a fan of catchweight bouts, but he might be willing to make an exception for women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and former Strikeforce featherweight titleholder Cristiane Santos, who seems reluctant to cut the extra 10 pounds. “It’s not a title fight,” White said. “If that’s what [Santos] is willing to do go to 140, let Ronda defend her title a few times and see if Ronda wants to go to 140. If I know Ronda, she probably will anyway. Let’s see what happens."