Photo by Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Alistair Overeem will try to turn back the clock later tonight (Sat., May 15, 2020) at UFC on ESPN 8 live on ESPN and ESPN+ from inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla, and take out rising heavyweight contender Walt Harris in the main event.
Overeem, 39, is coming off a last-second knockout loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC on ESPN 7 this past December. That defeat snapped a two fight win streak for “The Reem,” which included consecutive knockout wins over Alexey Oleynik and Sergei Pavlovich. Had Overeem lasted in the final seconds of his matchup with Rozenstruick he’d possess a three-fight win streak and be closing in on another heavyweight title shot.
Since Overeem can’t rewrite history the veteran contender must now pick himself back up and try to knock off a focused and very dangerous Harris later tonight at UFC on ESPN 8. It will be a hard matchup for both men, but one that Overeem must win if he wants to stay afloat in a growing heavyweight division.
In preparation for Overeem’s return to the Octagon the promotion has released his memorable UFC debut opposite Brock Lesnar back in 2011 (shown in the above video player). It was one of the most anticipated heavyweight showdowns in UFC history and culminated with a first-round TKO win by “Demolition Man.”
Only time will tell if Overeem can successfully turn the clock back and knock off Harris to claim another Octagon win.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 8 fight card blow, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.
For more news and notes on UFC on ESPN 8 click here.