Heavyweight legend Alistair Overeem is back to work on Saturday, taking on No. 6 ranked Alexander Volkov in the main event of UFC Vegas 18. A major narrative going into this bout for “The Demolition Man,” who is ranked No. 5 in the heavyweight division, is that this is his last title run.
Overeem is 40 years old and has been fighting professionally since 1999. With nearly 70 pro fights under his belt (47-18, 1 NC), the fighter has made it clear this is his last campaign for a UFC title. With a victory over Volkov on February 6, he will keep his run alive and set himself up for a possible title eliminator.
And should he defeat “Drago,” Overeem could potentially find himself inside the Octagon with an old teammate, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“Bones” is currently preparing for his heavyweight debut. UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Jones would likely receive the next divisional title fight against the winner of UFC 260’s Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou, however it’s unclear if he’s willing to wait that long.
The last time Bones competed was in February 2020 and UFC 260 doesn’t take place until March 27. If Jones decides to wait for a title fight, he will likely be on ice until the summer at the earliest, and that’s if the winner of Miocic vs. Ngannou isn’t injured coming out of the fight and that they’re willing to make a quick turnaround.
If Jones decides to fight at heavyweight before a title shot, Overeem vs. Jones would be a fantastic matchup.
GettyAlistair Overeem poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at the Park Theater on July 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Overeem Is Open to Fighting Bones Even Though They Were Teammates
Bones vs. Overeem would be a major fan-pleasing bout, pitting two big names against each other. They were teammates at JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before The Demolition Man moved on a few years back.
In a recent interview with Heavy, Overeem confirmed his willingness to fight the former light heavyweight king.
“I’m open to fighting Jon,” Overeem said. “I don’t have beef with him, but it’s not like we’re best friends. The Demolition Man then explained that, although they went to the same gym, he and Bones didn’t typically train together.
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Overeem Gave His Thoughts on UFC 260’s Miocic vs. Ngannou, Doesn’t Know How the Fight Will Play Out
Miocic vs. Ngannou is one of the most highly anticipated rematches the UFC can put on right now. The two fought in 2018 for Miocic’s heavyweight strap and the American defeated Ngannou via lopsided unanimous decision.
In his latest run, Ngannou has won four fights in a row while Miocic fought in a trilogy against Daniel Cormier, winning their last two bouts. On March 27, it will be exciting to see how the two fighters stack up three years later.
“They’re both tremendous fighters, tremendous athletes,” Overeem told Heavy.
The Demolition Man said that both fighters have shown that they’ve grown since their first fight and he doesn’t know how UFC 260 will play out. “Will it go down differently? If you’re honest, I don’t know,” Overeem said.
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Open to Fight Jon Jones: ‘It’s Not Like We’re Best Friends’