The heavyweight division headlines the main card with a clash of Alistair Overeem vs Alexander Volkov. Overeem is riding a two-win streak and has won four of his last five contests, but Volkov is the favorite at -189 (888sport). The veteran Dutchman is in good form recently and should give the towering Russian a run for his money.
When you look at Alexander Volkov, it’s hard to bet against him. He’s a physically imposing fighter standing at 6’7” with an 80” reach. They don’t call him “Drago” for nothing. Alistair Overeem is a veteran heavyweight fighter with a 47-18 MMA record. He’s been fighting for over 24 years, and his experience might be enough to best Volkov. NJ online sportsbook reviews have Volkov as the favorite, with 888sport listing him at -189 to win, but the Russian’s form has been erratic lately. He fought twice in 2020, splitting both contests, including a KO/TKO victory against Walt Harris in October. Alistair Overeem is ranked No. 5 in the heavyweight division, just one spot ahead of Volkov, who’s at No. 6. He stated that if he wins this fight, he should have a shot at the title and subsequently retire. At 40 years of age, Overeem is on his last legs, but he won fights against Walt Harris and Augusto Sakai in 2020 and hasn’t lost since December 2019. “Drago” has youth in his side. At 32, he’s eight years younger than Overeem, but his shaky form has bettors leaning towards an upset. Online sportsbooks in New Jersey list Volkov as the favorite but the best MMA betting sites, and UFC predictions say go with Overeem’s value. 888sport has Overeem as a +150 underdog, but the best value can be found at BetMGM, where he’s listed at +155, while Volkov is listed at -185. Volkov is an impressive fighter and has the stamina to win against Overeem, but the better has me siding with the Dutchman, who’s still a formidable striker at his age.
This fight will be challenging for Overeem since Volkov has the size and strength to win easily, but a seasoned fighter like Overeem will not go down so easily. He’s in great form, so an upset isn’t as unlikely as you might expect. My prediction: Overeem KO/TKO in the 4th round.
