There was a different Ben Rothwell that existed prior to September 5, 2014.
In the 13 years and 42 bouts that preceded his fight against Alistair Overeem at Fight Night 50, Big Ben had amassed a reputation for being a game opponent inside the cage. The Wisconsin native had competed on a multitude of stages around the globe and consistently held rank as one of the better heavyweights on the planet. That said, even with solid streaks of success he'd never been the best, and alternating wins and losses since arriving to the UFC in 2009 was a strong sign that reaching the top of the heavyweight mountain would never happen.