Not familiar with Overeem?  That’s not surprising.  He hasn’t defended his Strikeforce title in nearly two years, not since winning the belt when he forced “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-10) to give up due to murderous knee strikes at Strikeforce in San Jose in November 2007.  Most recently, Overeem tapped out Tony Sylvester (10-2) in guillotine choke at Glory 11 in Amsterdam October 17.

Fighters.com’s source also confirmed that “Colossus” James Thompson (14-9) is Overeem’s most likely opponent, though no contract has been signed.

The glass-jawed “Colossus” was crumbled in a knockout loss to “Big” Jim York (9-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo March 20, his fourth consecutive stoppage loss.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Fujiwara fought to a draw with Wataru Inatsu (2-1) at ZST.21 in Tokyo September 21.

Miyashita tapped Hiryu Okamoto (2-1) in a guillotine choke at DEEP 42 Impact in Tokyo June 30.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Shibata upset “Minowaman” Ikuhisa Minowa (40-28-8) in a two-round unanimous decision at DREAM.8 in Nagoya April 5.

Kashin was knocked out by a Taiei Kin (2-3) head kick at K-1 – Premium 2006 Dynamite!! in Osaka on New Year’s Eve 2006.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Zaromskis seemed to emerge from nowhere when he knocked out “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-8-3) and Jason High (6-1) both with first-round head kicks to capture the DREAM title in the final two rounds of the welterweight grand prix at DREAM.10 north of Tokyo July 20.

Bae won a unanimous decision over Yusaku Tsukumo (3-3) at DEEP 42 Impact in Tokyo June 30.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Sakuraba was originally scheduled to fight “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-5-1), but Manhoef bailed with an injury.

“Benkei” tapped in an armbar to “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-2) in the DREAM middleweight grand prix at DREAM.6 north of Tokyo in September 2008.

Saku’ tapped boxer Rubin Williams (0-1) in a Kimura at DREAM.11 in Yokohama October 6.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Sanchez has certainly fought in some of SpikeTV’s most memorable fights, including his most recent split decision victory over perennial gatekeeper “Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-10) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale in Las Vegas June 20.

But, UFC lightweights fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) are more deserving of a title shot, though admittedly less well-known to casual UFC fans.

Maynard won a split decision over another unranked, but popular UFC lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Edgar will follow-up his unanimous decision over former UFC champ ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23 versus “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Diaz beats unrelenting, but beatable Guida and gets a title shot versus Penn.  Edgar beats the former champ Sherk and is notched down to fight Pellegrino.  Explain that…

Sherk was scheduled to fight Gleison Tibau (16-6) at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24, but withdrew with an injury.

Most recent UFC title challenger, seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4), will swap opponents with Diaz when he fights Guida at UFC 107.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific second-ranked DREAM champ “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) avenged his most recent loss in the division with an armbar submission of fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) at DREAM.11 in Yokohama October 6 and is already slated to defend his title from eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at Dynamite!! 2009 north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve.

Third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) and tenth-ranked Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1) will fight at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25 for the next DREAM title shot versus the winner of Aoki v Kawajiri.

Fighters.com’s October Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10. Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1)

“Gracie Hunter” takes the short-notice fight coming off two losses, most recently a unanimous decision to Kiyoshi Tamura (32-13-2) at K-1 Dynamite!! on New Year’s Eve last year. Fighters.com anticipates DREAM will throw Saku’ some red meat at DREAM.11 to tune him up for another New Year’s Eve cameo.

Added to DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25, former WEC bantamweight title challenger “Rage” Chase Beebe (11-4) will fight fellow former WEC challenger Yoshiro Maeda (24-7-2).

Beebe lost his Japanese debut when the doctor stopped his fight versus Joe Warren (2-0) at DREAM.7 in Tokyo March 8.

Maeda won on disqualification when Kleber Koike (0-1) kicked him in the groin at DEEP in Osaka August 30.

Lightweight Daisuke Nakamura (18-9) has been rescheduled to fight at DREAM.12 after his opponent, “JZ” Gesias Cavalcante (12-2-1), withdrew from their DREAM.11 contest with an injury.

Both DREAM.11 and DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.

Also added to the card, Cage Force welterweight champ Kuniyoshi Hironaka (13-6) will matchup versus “Parky” Won Sik Park (2-0).

Alvarez tapped out Toby Imada (23-14) in a rear naked choke at Bellator 10 in Miami June 19.

Kikuno TKO’d Andre Amade (1-2) at DREAM.10 in Tokyo July 20.

Hironaka TKO’d Yoshihiro Koyama (10-2-1) at Cage Force 12 in Tokyo September 12.

Park submitted Yuichi Ikari (7-4-2) by rear naked choke  at DEEP 43 in Tokyo August 23.

DREAM.12 will be broadcast on HDNet in North America.