By Hunter Homistek

Alistair Overeem: UFC heavyweight champion.

Less than two years ago, you'd scoff at that sentence. Now, after a second-round knockout of Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 87 in Rotterdam, it's a real possibility by the end of 2016. After a successful TKO of Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut in December 2011, Overeem floundered inside the UFC Octagon.

He posted an uninspiring 1-3 record from February 2013 to September 2014, losing all three via knockout and securing his lone victory via decision. This was not "The Reem" we signed up for.

But then, in late 2014, something changed. It's tough to pinpoint exactly what sparked the reversal. Overeem moved to the lauded Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA camp in Albuquerque earlier that year, but he lost to Rothwell in his debut under the team's banner. Did Jackson's methodology take some time to set in?

The UFC also introduced strict, random drug testing under USADA in the summer of 2015. Overeem—who boasts a checkered history with performance-enhancing drugs—somehow benefited. Post-USADA Overeem is 2-0 with two knockouts, one over former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos and one more recently over Arlovski.

Did the lingering potential of a random drug test cause Overeem to focus more on his training and technique and less on looking like a marble sculpture?

Maybe the heavyweight division is just unpredictable. Overeem's early struggles exemplified the volatile nature of the fight game when 240-pound men start swinging. Getting clipped by Travis Browne, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, and Ben Rothwell could happen to anyone. Combined, those three own 48 knockouts in 73 victories overall—a 66% knockout rate. Overeem was winning each of those bouts until the knockout, so it's not as if he's been completely outmatched until his latest four-fight winning streak.

Runs like Overeem's latest happen in MMA. Current welterweight champion Robbie Lawler was left for dead before joining the UFC in February 2013. The American Top Team product was 1-3 in his last four when he made his UFC debut, and many felt he'd show up, get beat, get cut, and move along.

Instead, he knocked out Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker in back-to- back fights, revitalizing his career in the process. Now, he's the champ, and he holds two successful title defenses over top-notch competition in Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit.

Ditto for lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos.

While it seems logical to think a fighter's prime comes between the ages of 26 and 30—as it does in most other sports—it's increasingly common in MMA to see experience reign supreme.

This is particularly true in the heavyweight division, where the youngest member of the Top 10 is 32-year- old dos Santos. The champ, Fabricio Werdum is 38. You have to take a trip down to No. 14 in the UFC's official rankings to find a fighter younger than 30, and even then, it's only barely so. Ruslan Magomedov is knocking on 30's door at 29 years old.

At 35, Overeem is not old in the context of the division. In fact, the average age of the top 10 is just that: 35. On top of this, his diverse striking attack spells trouble for anybody who tests him on the feet, and his game planning is only getting sharper with Jackson and company.

Against Arlovski, Overeem ate heavy leather throughout Round 1, but he never crumbled. Lately, he remains calm and composed under fire, and he wisely picks his opportunities to attack. His four-fight winning streak gives him a legitimate claim to the title, and it won't be a surprise to see him claim it.

Werdum puts his strap on the line against Stipe Miocic May 14 at UFC 198, but after that, it's open season. Cain Velasquez faces Travis Browne two pay-per- view events later, July 9 at UFC 200, but beyond those two, nobody besides Overeem holds a case for the title shot.

Werdum submitted Overeem in Pride in 2006, but Overeem exacted revenge in 2011 under the Strikeforce banner. In that fight, Werdum mostly refused to engage. Instead of testing Overeem's hands, shins, and knees, Werdum tried to bait his foe to the canvas, much to the chagrin of the crowd in attendance and at home.

The fight ended unspectacularly via decision, but Overeem evened his series with Werdum at one apiece. A rubber match provides an intriguing storyline, and given each man's improvements of late, it looks like a better matchup than ever on paper, too.

Should Miocic upset Werdum and claim the title, though, a Miocic vs. Overeem matchup promises fireworks, too. Both men are quick, athletic heavyweights with one-shot knockout power, and this fight almost guarantees a stoppage.

If Overeem's recent success indicates anything, it's that the chaotic nature of MMA materializes most in the big-boys' division. Anything can happen in any division, but anything does happen—frequently—in the heavyweight class.

By the end of the year, we might witness a perfect representation of that fact. Once discarded, Overeem is back, and there's a chance at gold in his future.