For Alistair Overeem, it’s time to break the pattern of taking two steps forward and one step back.
That’s the plan anyway as Overeem heads into his fifth consecutive headlining opportunity on Saturday at UFC Vegas 18. He’s been down this road before in recent years, winning consecutive bouts to put himself on the cusp of another heavyweight title shot only to catch a loss—often in brutal fashion—that sends him back to the middle of the contenders’ pack.
Former Bellator champion Alexander Volkov is the latest fighter to be placed in Overeem’s way, a perennial contender who has the chops to stand and trade with the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix winner.