UFC heavyweight, Alexander Volkov, cashed in big during his main event feature bout against former title challenger, Alistair Overeem. ‘Drago’ beat down Overeem from the early moments of the fight and eventually stopped him at 02:06 of round 2. The Russian striker will now take Overeem’s spot in the top 5 and move one step closer to actualizing UFC gold.
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‘The Demolition Man’ looked out of his depth as Volkov’s size, strength and accuracy seemed to overwhelm him at every step. Overeem’s guard split wide open against the cage, and his defense certainly wasn’t holding up. Volkov will most certainly take plenty of confidence from putting away one of the most prolific MMA strikers.
Whatever he hits, he destroys! 💥
Drago gets it done in the second round! 🇷🇺@AlexDragoVolkov finishes Alistair Overeem! 👊#UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/xPH5x4jv0p
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 7, 2021
Speaking of confidence, Volkov’s was clearly growing in spades as the fight continued to play out into the second round. Alistair came in shaken when he sat on the stool following the first round and his nose had absorbed plenty of damage. There will be work to do when he heads back to Team Elevation to return to a title shot.
UFC heavyweights: Alistair Overeem vs Alexander Volkov
‘The Reem’ came in with 65 fights under his belt and was confident knowing that he’ll be engaged in a striking affair with Volkov. In fact, there was speculation that he might initiate grappling, as has become part of his new game. Overeem’s game plan didn’t seem right from the get-go as he looked flat under the lights, to say the least.
Kneeling in the cage after their fight, @AlexDragoVolkov and @Alistairovereem shared words of encouragement 🤝 #UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/chW5wSeMmV
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 7, 2021
Alexander ‘Drago’ came in heavier than he’s ever been, and his strength and size are sure to be a problem for his competition. It’s still unclear how he’ll perform when having to fend over relentless takedowns from some of the elite grapplers. However, there’s no question he’ll leave the Apex Facility on a high note, having made a clear statement.
The heavyweight crown will be contested in the first quarter of 2020 between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. With his massive step-up in the realm of striking, Alexander Volkov will definitely hope to see Ngannou emerge with the belt. That fight will undoubtedly be a barn-burner on the feet.
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