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Alexander Volkov has been on the cusp of joining the heavyweight elite for several years. All that was missing was this great signature finish.
He got it on Saturday night.
Volkov knocked out legend Alistair Overeem via TKO 2 minutes, 6 seconds from the second round in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. After bloodying Overeem with some difficult combinations, Volkov landed a left hook that knocked Overeem down for good. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in and called off the fight.
The victory was one-sided and perhaps Volkov’s best performance in the UFC and should elevate him to the top echelon of the heavyweight division. ESPN had Overeem ranked No.6 in the world in heavyweight and Volkov just below him at No.7.
“It’s my turn,” said Volkov, a 6-foot-7 Russian man nicknamed “Drago,” in his post-fight interview.
Overeem was successful in the first with several pronounced lefts. But waiting to counter Volkov was a mistake. Volkov came forward landing hard, straight punch combinations with Overeem bombarding along the cage. Although Overeem blocked, Volkov’s shots were hard and successful. Overeem was cut at the end of the first round.
In the second round, Volkov again put pressure on Overeem against the cage and landed some hard jab-cross combinations. The technique was simple but very effective. Volkov’s heavy hands made Overeem even more bloody.
When the two broke up, Overeem’s face was almost all red. Volkov then landed a perfectly placed left hook to send Overeem to the canvas.
“I felt I could finish it in the second or third round,” Volkov said. “I saw his face. He had a lot of cuts and blood on his face. I was expecting a good punch. I did.”
The fight took place in front of no fans with COVID-19 protocols in place at UFC Apex, a location across from the UFC corporate campus. It was the first UFC event of the year in the United States after the first three were held in Abu Dhabi.
Volkov (33-8) has won nine of his last 11 fights. He was coming off a second round TKO against Walt Harris in October and is on a two-game winning streak.
Volkov, 32, is the former U-1 heavyweight world champion and has been a permanent contender for the UFC. Before Saturday, he had failed in previous attempts to beat contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
Overeem (47-19, 1 NC) had won back-to-back wins and four of his last five entries, hoping for a final UFC heavyweight title race. The Dutch forward is one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA heavyweight history. He is a former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion and one of only two fighters to win titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing.
Overeem, 40, takes victories over former UFC champions Brock Lesnar, Vitor Belfort (twice), Fabricio Werdum (twice), Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir.
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