Point of interest: Wrestling with “The Reem”
Considering the on-paper disparity in ground skills, I will be curious to see if Harris can successfully steer clear of Overeem’s underrated wrestling ability and vaunted clinch game.
Aside from the likes of guys like Daniel Cormier or Randy Couture, you can certainly make an argument for Overeem being one of the best heavyweight clinch fighters we’ve seen in MMA. Renowned for his devastating knees in-close, it is the slick grip and hand-fighting of the Dutchman that allows him to construct and control his demolitions.
The lynchpin for striking with effectiveness from both the clinch and the ground comes down the same thing: the ability to grip fight. Hence why most good ground-and-pounders make for good clinch strikers and vice versa.
Grip-fighting is also an arguable lifesaver on the defensive end, as most takedowns and submissions (as well as passes and advances, to a certain extent) become incredibly difficult, if not nearly impossible, with use of only one grasping limb.
With this in mind, the exchanges that happen between the two inside the clinch should carry extra weight. However, despite Overeem carrying obvious finishing abilities on the floor, both his entries and executions in his last outing weren’t exactly inspiring – something he can’t afford to repeat here.
Although Harris is primarily a striking threat, that does not mean he disregards the wrestling department. By spending multiple camps working at American Top Team in his neighboring state of Florida, Harris has quietly made improvements to this department since suffering a decision loss to Jared Rosholt back in his UFC debut.
The former collegiate athlete has quick hips out in the open and displays improved fundamentals within clinch or cage scenarios. And when Harris is able to establish top control, he has a surprising ability to transition that can be scary when thinking about the power he wields in his ground strikes.
Should Harris get grounded in this matchup, then he will undoubtedly need to show the urgency to not accept negative spots on the mat. That said, Harris will also need to be careful if intends on returning to his base via a tripod or turtle position given how good “The Reem” is from the front-headlock.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction
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