Both Overeem, No. 11, and Nelson, No. 9, are ranked within the UFC’s media-generated heavyweight rankings.
Overeem (38-14, 1 NC) most recently scored a career-saving first-round knockout over Stefan Struve this past December.
The win snapped a troublesome slump for the former Strikeforce/Dream/K-1 champion, as Overeem had suffered grisly knockout losses in three of previous four bouts, including a dramatic first-round defeat at the hands of Ben Rothwell that left many questioning whether the 34-year-old should retire from the sport.
Instead he’ll meet Nelson (20-10), a 38-year-old slugger who’s fallen on similarly hard times of late.
A loser of three of his last four fights, Nelson suffered a highlight-reel knockout loss to Mark Hunt in his most recent outing.
UFC 185 takes place at Dallas’ American Airlines Center and airs live on pay-per-view. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis looks to defend his title against top contender Rafael dos Anjos in the night’s main event.
Both Overeem, No. 11, and Nelson, No. 9, are ranked within the UFC’s media-generated heavyweight rankings.
Overeem (38-14, 1 NC) most recently scored a career-saving first-round knockout over Stefan Struve this past December.
The win snapped a troublesome slump for the former Strikeforce/Dream/K-1 champion, as Overeem had suffered grisly knockout losses in three of previous four bouts, including a dramatic first-round defeat at the hands of Ben Rothwell that left many questioning whether the 34-year-old should retire from the sport.
Instead he’ll meet Nelson (20-10), a 38-year-old slugger who’s fallen on similarly hard times of late.
A loser of three of his last four fights, Nelson suffered a highlight-reel knockout loss to Mark Hunt in his most recent outing.
UFC 185 takes place at Dallas’ American Airlines Center and airs live on pay-per-view. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis looks to defend his title against top contender Rafael dos Anjos in the night’s main event.
