UFC 141: Brock Lesnar Vs. Alistair Overeem Decides Next Heavyweight Title Challenger

Brock Lesnar's road to reclaim his title will be short with a single, titanic speed-bump. According to UFC President Dana White, the winner of UFC 141's main event between Lesnar and Octagon newcomer Alistair Overeem earns the mantle of the division's number-one contender and the next shot at the UFC heavyweight championship.

"Brock Lesnar is 110 percent healthy and ready to get the world title back," White said in a press release. "He asked for the toughest test we could find for him and there's no doubt that Alistair Overeem fits the bill. He's been a champion in other organizations and came to UFC to fight the best guys in the world. He wants to show everyone that he's the number one heavyweight in the sport. This fight is the perfect fight to close out 2011."

Lesnar is slated to make his return after a 13-month layoff due to a highly-publicized second bout with the intestinal disease diverticulitis. Since recovering the former-WWE star has been candid about his struggles. "For two years I had to lie to myself and lie to all of my fans. I had to get up every morning and say, ‘you feel good today', and I didn't," Lesnar recently admitted. "I had the surgery, its out of my life, and I'm back. And that's a damn good feeling."

His reintroduction to the Octagon will not be an easy one. Overeem, the former Strikeforce, DREAM, and K-1 heavyweight champion, is one of the few fighters to match Lesnar's overwhelming enormity, often tipping the scales near the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds. The Dutch striker has yet to drop a contest since 2007, during which time he has ripped off a string of ten victories and nine brutal finishes.

Both men are scheduled to appear at Friday's UFC 141 pre-fight press conference, directly proceeding the UFC on Fox weigh-ins at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. Tickets for the December 30th event will go on sale the morning of the presser.