UFC 141's Lesnar relates to Overeem's plight but unconcerned with potential distractions
by John Morgan on Dec 19, 2011



As a massive 6-foot-3 heavyweight who cuts weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit, former UFC champion Brock Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is no stranger to questions regarding performance-enhancing substance use.

But as he prepares for his UFC 141 contest with former Strikeforce titleholder Alistair Overeem (35-11 MMA, 0-0 UFC), all the question marks have been centered around his chiseled Dutch opponent.

Pay no mind, says Lesnar. When you're in the spotlight, you can expect some scrutiny. A shot at UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos hangs in the balance, and there's simply no time for distractions.

"I've been dealing with the same accusations my whole life," Lesnar today told MMAjunkie.com during a media call to promote the event. "Being part of the spotlight and being I guess with the Internet and everything these days – and being social media and everybody knows everything – it's part of the lifestyle. It comes with the territory. I've been used to it for many years now."

Overeem, of course, has been a hot topic in recent days after missing a Nevada State Athletic Commission-mandated pre-fight drug test. There was some speculation that Overeem might be pulled from the headlining slot, but the commission ultimately elected to grant him a conditional license to face Lesnar at UFC 141, which takes place on Dec. 30 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Lesnar, a notoriously private individual who typically shies away from the Internet, said he hasn't allowed himself to get wrapped up in Overeem's ongoing dealings with the NSAC.

"Obviously, it's kind of hard to get away, but I've pretty much centralized myself with pretty much just my family on my ranch, and so I really don't know what's going on in the outside scheme of things," Lesnar said. "Right now, I'm focused on the fight and my family and the holidays and trying to live a somewhat normal life, you know, other than being a UFC fighter. You've got to be able to manage everything and stay on top of what's most important, and that's the fight and my family and the holiday right now.

"I haven't even followed much of what's going on with Alistair."

Instead, Lesnar is focused on his own preparation for the No. 1 contender bout. The hulking Minnesotan is competing for the first time since his October 2010 loss to Cain Velasquez, and in the interim he was forced to undergo surgery after suffering through a second battle with diverticulitis.

But Lesnar insists he's now back to 100 percent, and he believes his preparation has been more than suitable for a potential 25-minute affair.

"I've had plenty of time to train," Lesnar said. "Being healthy and once again motivated, I've been able to work on a lot of different things. This is a sport that you have to evolve in and you have to get better if you're going to stay on top in this organization.

"We put lots of hours in the octagon in training – lots of sparring and lots of grappling and lots of jiu-jitsu sessions – so it definitely hasn't been a lack of trying here. I'm coming into this fight, and I'm excited for it. I can't wait to get back in the octagon."

While Lesnar's loss to Velasquez revealed the wrestling stud's striking skills are still in their infant stages, the former champ has shown an ability to add new skills in relatively short time. Witness his UFC 116 win over Shane Carwin, in which Lesnar returned from a year-long medical layoff and earned a "Submission of the Night" victory with some previously unseen jiu-jitsu prowess.

Lesnar seemed to suggest a similar transformation could be evident at UFC 141.

"This is a dog-eat-dog division, and it's definitely getting more competitive, so I've got to be more competitive," Lesnar said. "I'm going to go out there and do my best to try and win this fight, and that's really all that I can try to control."

Lesnar said he isn't allowing himself to ponder a potential matchup with Dos Santos just yet. There is one goal in mind, and that's beating Overeem, and no pre-fight drug test talk or thoughts of again wearing championship gold are going to stand in the way of accomplishing the task at hand.

At 34 years old and with a life-changing surgical procedure behind him, it's time for the lifelong superstar to again step in the spotlight.

"Under all the circumstances I've gone through, this is an opportunity that not too many people get," Lesnar said. "I'm excited about it."