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What's the story?
Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K1 Grand Prix superstar, Alistair Overeem, has recently been rumoured to face Alexander Volkov for the UFC's April 20th, 2018 card. The promotion will be moving to their latest addition for a host country, Russia, for its second edition of a UFC event, at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg.
In case you didn't know...
Alistair Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist, currently competing in the UFC's heavyweight division. He is arguably the most decorated heavyweight in the history of the sport, with accolades ranging from the K-1 Grand Prix Heavyweight champion to the former heavyweight champion at Strikeforce. His latest performance in the cage came against Sergey Pavlovich, a fight that saw Overeem secure a win via a sublime technical knockout.
Alexander Volkov, presently a contender in the heavyweight division of the UFC, is an acclaimed Russian mixed martial artist. Volkov has had a professional stand in the fight game since the year 2009 and is currently ranked number five in the UFC's official heavyweight rankings. Before his untimely defeat against Derrick Lewis at UFC 229, Volkov was bang on the buck with victories over top contenders such as Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, and Roy Nelson.
The heart of the matter
On January 11th, 2019, a report by MMA journalist, Farah Hannoun, set high expectations for the UFC's upcoming event in Russia, scheduled for April 20th, 2018. A Twitter post by Farah read:
“I’m hearing that Alistair Overeem is projected to face Alexander Volkov on this event. Still early stages though but it’s in the works. #UFCRussia”
Although the venue name has not been officially slated by the UFC, Russia's latest state of the art infrastructure, the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, is expected to host the event. Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov are foreseen to headline the UFC event in Russia, but a ceremonial standing from the UFC is yet to be declared.
What next?
As a host country, Russia seems to be a hot new prospect for the UFC to conduct forthcoming events. Fight fans in Russia are expected to gather in large flocks for the second edition of the UFC, expected to come through on April 20th, 2018.
Any early predictions for this highly anticipated heavyweight clash between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov? Be sure to leave them in the comments section below!
