On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, we have an exclusive interview with Alistair Overeem leading up to his fight at UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN. Plus, Michael Bisping sounds off on Mark Munoz, while Miesha Tate fires back at Ronda Rousey, and much more on UFC TONIGHT.

 

Alistair Overeem on how he plans on beating Travis Browne at UFC FIGHT NIGHT: “I’m a striker and I’m looking for that striking game. I also have a submission game and I also have some wrestling. I’m all around. I think I’m especially going to beat him in the experience. I have so many more fights than he has. He’s very aggressive, but my experience is going to be the turning point.”

 

Overeem on what happened in his loss to Bigfoot Silva: “What happen was he knocked me out cold. I think there was a little bit of an under-estimation. He’s a dangerous guy. He has heavy bones. That was a costly price to pay. In the meantime I’ve learned all the lessons I could have. I took some time off to overthink everything that wasn’t right. In my own way I’ve been fixing everything. I’ve been in camp for four months and I feel great. I look forward to fighting again in 12 days.”

 

Overeem if he believes the winner of his fight will be the number-one contender: “That’s for the gentleman upstairs to decide. My goal is the UFC belt. That would crown my career. So I’m just going to give it all I have.”

 

Michael Bisping on his upcoming fight with Mark Munoz: “He’s a great wrestler, but I think he’s one dimensional. Anybody who refers to themselves as having a Donkey Kong style, I refuse to lose to. I’m far too skilled for him. He’s going to try to take me to the ground and use these stupid punches that he throws. He’s very powerful and I’m not underestimating him. He’s a very accomplished wrestler. Listen, I’m going to punch him in the face repeatedly and eventually he’s going to fall down. On October 26, I’m going to kick his ass, and no one’s even going to think about him anymore. If they thought he was depressed before, on October 27, the day after the fight, he’s going to be really more depressed then.”

 

Miesha Tate if the next fight against Ronda Rousey will go differently: “I’m hoping it will go way different. The first part of the last fight was awesome and was really competitive, but the end was not what I hoped for. I feel like she can only do that so many times before someone figures it out. I believe I’ll be the one to do it. She has motivated me in more ways than I thought I could be motivated. I think because of the rivalry, it’s made me that much stronger and that much more willful. I just want to train and to beat her so bad because I don’t like her on a personal level, but I do respect her as an athlete and what she’s accomplished. She was able to take everything that meant anything away from me and I want to be able to do the same.”

 

Tate on Rousey talking about her and her boyfriend: “I think Ronda is so crazy. You guys will see that when the show comes out. I would assume she can’t keep a man around for any period of time, so I would probably imagine she’s pretty jealous that Bryan and I are both pretty successful fighting in the UFC and going on seven years. So she can’t keep him out of her mouth.”

 

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on who will fight Jose Aldo for the title next: “The UFC said they’ve yet to make that decision. Ricardo Lamas has said that if he’s guaranteed a shot at the title, he’ll wait until Jose Aldo is healed up for the fight. Cub Swanson also said that he’ll wait for Aldo to heal if he gets a title shot. Swanson said if he doesn’t get a shot at the title, he’d want to fight Lamas or Frankie Edgar next. Lamas said he’d fight some new people, but he has beaten Cub Swanson already, so doesn’t want to fight him again.”

 

Helwani on who will fight for the light heavyweight title next: “In the UFC 163 postfight press conference, Marshall Zelaznik of the UFC said that if Glover Teixeira has an impressive victory over Ryan Bader in Brazil, he’ll probably get to fight the winner of Jones and Gustafsson.”

 

Helwani on Melvin Guillard’s next fight: “Melvin Guillard will face Ross Pearson in co-main event at UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BISPING VS. MUNOZ. He wanted to fight in Houston the week before, but he said he loves beating guys up in their home country. He couldn’t pass it up.”

 

Helwani on Bigfoot Silva getting a role in an upcoming movie: “Bigfoot Silva has just been cast in The Scorpion King 3, called The Scorpion King: The Last Thrown. It begins filming later this month and comes out next year. No word when he’ll be back in the Octagon.”

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