Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
We’re not quite done with 2020 yet, but Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is already starting to book fights for its slate of events in 2021.
According to ESPN, the promotion has booked a Heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov to headline a planned “Fight Night” event on Feb. 6, 2021. Though not yet confirmed, the event — which falls on Super Bowl Weekend — could likely take place in Las Vegas, Nevada due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Overeem is coming off a big win over Augusto Sakai, who he defeated last September at UFC Vegas 5 via knockout, stopping the big man in the fifth and final round (see it). The win was his second in a row and four of five overall. “The Reem” has stated that his career is slowly winding down, so he aims to make one final push for the Heavyweight title.
Volkov, meanwhile, is fresh off a knockout win over Walt Harris at UFC 254 just a few weeks ago (relive it here). The victory got him back in the win column after previously losing to Curtis Blaydes. After starting his UFC career at 4-0, “Drago” has only managed to muster up a 2-2 mark in his last four. A win over Overeem would be the much-needed boost he needs to get into the championship conversation for the first time.
The ESPN+-streamed event will also feature two women’s Flyweight bouts as Nicco Montano takes on Karol Rosa, while Molly McCann takes on Lara Procopi.