In the week leading up to Christmas, the internet was abuzz with rumors of who newly crowned K-1 champion, Alistair Overeem's, opponent would be for Dynamite!! 2010 on New Years Eve. In typical Japanese MMA fashion, the fighters that are participating are all fighting on relatively short notice, and the ever so common "TBA" is holding the place for some poor soul to be matched up with "The Reem". Word came out that the targeted opponent would likely be former UFC fighter Todd Duffee, and a post was temporarily up on Duffee's facebook saying he would be fighting Overeem...and then it was removed. The cause behind the post being removed has been speculated on, but it would seem that him stating that he's fighting would cause trouble with his Japanese visa. An official announcement is expect to come out early this week.
So, let's say Duffee is fighting Overeem. At first glance, it's easy to brush this fight off, Alistair Overeem just won the K-1 Grand Prix, and Duffee got fired from the UFC after getting knocked out. The odds certainly do not favor the young Todd Duffee. Then again, this is actually a better opponent than I had expected, by FEG standards. Duffee has tons to gain, and little to lose. To beat Overeem, who is not only a K-1 Champion, but the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, now, would raise Duffee's stock through the roof. The wind would be sucked from Overeem's sails, and Strikeforce's champion would be beaten by "a guy who couldn't cut it in the UFC", as Dana White would certainly say (as he offers Duffee a lucrative contract behind closed doors).
The word is that Duffee is getting paid 60k to take this fight, and an unknown amount for winning. For a young up and comer like Duffee, this is the chance of a life time. If he loses, he was supposed to lose, and he just got paid big time.
If he wins though...if he wins?
What if he won? Well, you can throw rankings out the window, along with Overeem's pride. Duffee would be on cloud nine, as he would have just pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. FEG would be trying to figure out that "unknown" number on Duffee's contract. Michael Schiavello would most likely soil his britches. It would be madness.
Personally, I'd like to see it happen, just to see minds blown. It's not outside the realm of possibility. Any time you put two heavyweights against each other, they run the risk of getting dropped. Little gloves + big men = ouch. Duffee holds the record for fastest knockout in the UFC, Overeem is a kickboxing champion...the most likely outcome is obvious, but nothing is sure in MMA. Should these two men meet, I will be looking forward to the show even more, not so much for sport...but for spectacle...for the chance that some guy who shouldn't be in the ring with this champion might actually win. It's that feeling in your gut you get when you see something special. This is Japanese MMA, with their own unapologetic brand of awesome, and I appreciate it for what it is. These aren't the best of the best fighting each other, this is a celebration for a new year, it's supposed to be fun. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.