UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov Picks and Predictions
Feb 2, 2021 |
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports
Alistair Overeem has been knocked out 14 times in his career, including in each of his last 11 losses, while seven of his last eight wins have come by KO/TKO
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports
Alistair Overeem vs. Alexander Volkov is the main event at UFC Fight Night betting on Saturday, February 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
This should be an intriguing battle between a pair of heavyweight contenders with both power and skill. UFC odds opened with Overeem installed as a slim -125 favorite but he is now the +152 underdog while Volkov comes back at -180.
– vs. Daniel Cormier – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 241 – August 17, 2019
– vs. Daniel Cormier – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 226 – July 7, 2018
– vs. Francis Ngannou – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 220 – January 20, 2018
– vs. Junior dos Santos – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 211 – May 13, 2017
Next scheduled appearance:
– vs. Francis Ngannou – UFC 260 – March 27, 2021
Comment: The rematch pitting UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic against Francis Ngannou is official for UFC 260 in March. They first fought three years ago and Miocic was a unanimous decision in which he was deemed the winner of each round. Although Ngannou lost his next fight to Derrick Lewis, by three-round decision, each of his last four fights have ended in first round knockouts.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 02: Carlos Felipe of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in on October 02, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
After an unsuccessful debut in July of this past year, Carlos Felipe got his sophomore assignment for October against powerful puncher Yorgan De Castro. After out-working the Cape Verdean native on the feet for the better part of fifteen minutes, Felipe took home a decision and his first UFC win. Although that win is always a good feeling, Felipe felt a lot of that validation in his first fight as well.
Alexander Volkov +105
Overeem opened as a -125 betting favorite. That means a $125 bet would win you $100. As for Volkov, he opened as a +105 betting underdog. That means a $100 bet would win you $105. Considering it’s a heavyweight fight where there is more variance and both men possess knockout power, the close odds make sense. But given Overeem’s recent form, don’t be surprised if this opening line gets bet higher.
Overeem (47-18, 1 NC) is the No. 5 ranked heavyweight in the UFC. At age 40, Overeem is still competing at the highest level of the sport. He’s won four of his last five fights overall, including back-to-back knockout wins over Augusto Sakai and Walt Harris over his last two fights. Overeem has said that he’s making one final run for the UFC heavyweight title in 2021, and a win over Volkov would be huge for him.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Depending on what fans were looking for, UFC Vegas 17 either hit just the marks it needed to, or somewhat under-delivered. Stephen Thompson and Jose Aldo both proved their mettle as top-flight fighters over greener competition, but Michel Pereira vs. Khaos Williams dramatically undercut expectations. All told it was a night that failed to bring many thrilling finishes. For those that just like seeing elite craft on display, however, the card offered plenty of that.
So, is it time to start talking about Stephen Thompson as a title contender again? Does Jose Aldo still have what it takes to compete for UFC gold? And can Anthony Pettis make waves at 155?