Ben Rothwell shockingly destroys Alistair Overeem by first-round TKO

Alistair Overeem got all the hype coming into Friday's card. Ben Rothwell got the knockout. He'll take it.

After a nine-month suspension for failing a drug test, Rothwell came back in a huge way with a TKO of Overeem at just 2:19 of the first round at UFC Fight Night on FOX Sports 1: Souza vs. Mousasi in Connecticut.

"I am now here to make my way to the title," Rothwell said. "It is time."

Rothwell beat Brandon Vera in August 2013 and then was found to have had elevated testosterone levels in a post-fight drug test. Though Rothwell was given an exemption for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), the UFC still found wrongdoing. The organization suspended him for nine months, though the Wisconsin governing body did not discipline him.

Coming into this bout with Overeem, Rothwell was extremely excited because he was able to excel in training camp without needing TRT.

"It's awesome," Rothwell said Wednesday. "I feel like I beat it to be here right now, to be who I am, what I've done naturally."

Overeem (37-14, 1 NC) came in ranked No. 7 among UFC heavyweight contenders, so Rothwell (34-9) is likely to enter the rankings this week. "Big Ben" has now won two straight and three of his last four fights. At 32, it's possible has has finally come into his own.

"Anything can happen," Rothwell said. "I'm a living life story of that."

As for Overeem, this will go down as one of the tougher losses of his career. The Dutchman and former Strikeforce champion has now lost three of his last four bouts. At 34, it's unclear how much longer he'll want to fight, though he said this week he planned for a few more years.