Tag: Alexander Volkov

Alistair Overeem won’t be sticking around if he achieves his goal of becoming UFC heavyweight champion.

Overeem is set to take on Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight headliner that takes place February 6. A win would make it five in his last six and also put him on a three-fight winning streak.

A win would also put Overeem in position for title contention as he has repeatedly claimed he is on one final run to earn the only title that has eluded him in his illustrious career — the UFC heavyweight crown.

But should he finally accomplish that feat, he won’t be sticking around. Especially at his current age of 40.

“There definitely is momentum because we’re two wins (in a row),” Overeem told MMA Junkie. “I think my fights are good, they’re exciting. I think we’ve just got to keep this trajectory going and another title shot will be there, and that will be my last because my time is running out, which is fine.

“I’ve had a great career, I’m having a great career. But we also have to be realistic, and that’s a little bit where the final run comes from. I’m not going to keep fighting until I’m 45. It’s going to be one final run, then it’s going to be thank you everybody for watching, and see you in the next life.”

Even if Overeem doesn’t go on to win the title, he will still boast one of the most legendary careers in the sport’s history with wins over some of the greatest fighters on his resume.

That is why he feels he has nothing to prove beyond winning the title.

“I would retire immediately (after winning the title),” Overeem added. “There’s nothing to prove at that point.”

Do you think Overeem can retire on top with UFC gold?

Alexander Volkov expects to finish Alistair Overeem in their UFC Vegas 18 main event next weekend. Both Volkov and Overeem are top-10 heavyweights and a win for either could put them in a number one contender bout. The fight is a very intriguing one and for Volkov, he expects to finish Overeem once he makes […]

Alexander Volkov is expecting a finish in his upcoming fight with Alistair Overeem.

The pair will face off the in the main event of the UFC’s February 6 event in a pivotal matchup in the heavyweight division.

A win for both fighters would put them right in title contention with current champion Stipe Miocic set to defend his crown against Francis Ngannou a month later at UFC 260 on March 27.

Volkov has long been a fan of Overeem and given how both fighters tend to finish their fights, he doesn’t believe this one will go the five rounds either. And the Russian also believes he’ll eventually catch Overeem once the latter makes a mistake.

“Alistair Overeem used to be one of my favorite fighters when I was at the beginning of my professional career,” Volkov told MMA Junkie. “Surely, we have different styles, but I’ve always been impressed by his physical power, the ability to deliver accurate and hard punches, as well as his work in the clinch.

“In this regard, I know his strengths and weaknesses very well. Lately, he has worked more economically, but nevertheless, he remains just as dangerous. It is unlikely that our fight will last all five rounds. I’m sure I can catch him making a mistake.”

Volkov returned to the win column with an impressive second-round TKO win over Walt Harris in October. His previous outing saw him suffer a unanimous decision defeat to Curtis Blaydes after getting outgrappled for majority of the fight last summer.

To that, he cites having to train at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he is more than ready now if his fight with Overeem ends up on the ground.

“Primarily I’ve had the chance to train in a gym since the time of my fight vs. Curtis Blaydes,” Volkov said. “During lockdown in Moscow, I had to train at home. I developed strong functional skills and had lots of strength to conduct a five-round fight. But I didn’t have what the bout required – wrestling and sparring sessions in the gym.

“When training for the fight against Walt Harris, I followed our strategy of 2018 with a focus on the development of physical conditioning and allocation of more time to wrestling.”

Who do you have winning?

Alistair Overeem’s final run at UFC heavyweight gold will see him having to get past Alexander Volkov next.

As per UFC president Dana White (via ESPN), the pair of heavyweights are set to headline the promotion’s upcoming February 6 event.

An official announcement of the fight should be made soon, though there is no location for the fight as of yet.

Overeem, 40, is coming off a TKO win over Augusto Sakai in September which put him on a two-fight winning streak. He has also won four of his last five outings as he has repeatedly spoken of having one final run in mixed martial arts to win the one title that has eluded him — the UFC heavyweight strap.

The Dutchman would fail in his only attempt when he was knocked out by current champion Stipe Miocic in their UFC 203 headliner back in September 2016. A win against Volkov, however, could see him move next in line after Francis Ngannou.

Volkov, meanwhile, is coming off a second-round TKO win over Walt Harris last month. Overall, the Russian is 6-2 in the UFC and will be hoping a win over Overeem puts him right back into title contention after previously enjoying a 4-0 start with the promotion.

The duo were originally set to collide in April last year in the main event of UFC Saint Petersburg. However, Volkov had to pull out with Overeem going on to TKO Aleksei Oleinik who stepped in as a replacement.

What do you think of this fight and who do you have winning it?