Before we begin, the planned UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 30, pending a relaxation of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s ban on combat sports.
The May 30 Fight Night has yet to be officially confirmed by the UFC as of Tuesday, nor has there been an official confirmation of a host venue.
Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns in the Welterweight division will serve as the May 30 Fight Night main event, regardless of when and where it takes place.
Nevada has banned combat sports as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic since the middle of March.
Onward to today’s topic:
The UFC’s return to live action with three cards in a week concludes this Saturday night at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL with UFC on ESPN 8.
In total, UFC on ESPN 8 will feature 11 fights.
Highlighting UFC on ESPN 8 (main card Saturday at 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT) is a Light Heavyweight main event between No. 8 contender Alistair Overeem (45-18, one no-contest) and No. 9 contender Walt Harris (13-7, one no-contest).
This will be a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.
An emotional return:
Expect emotions to be high on Saturday night when Walt Harris makes his return to the Octagon.
This is Harris’ first fight since the tragic death of his stepdaughter last fall.
As a result of the then-ongoing missing persons’ case surrounding 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard’s disappearance in fall 2019, Harris withdrew from UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington last December, where he was booked to fight Overeem in the main event.
Police in Alabama found Blanchard’s remains in November, just prior to Thanksgiving.
Contender Comparison:
Heading into the main event, Walt Harris is the taller contender, standing 6-foot-5, an inch taller than Alistair Overeem’s 6-foot-4 frame.
How they got here:
Alistair Overeem has posted a 2-3 mark in his last five fights.
Most recently, he was defeated by fifth-round knockout (right cross) by Jairzinho Rozenstruik in UFC on ESPN 7’s main event in Washington last December.
In the other corner, Walt Harris has posted a 3-2 record with one no-contest in his last six fights, along with a three-fight winning streak.
Last time out, he scored a first-round knockout (flying knee and left cross) of Aleksey Oleinik in UFC on ESPN 4 on July 20 last year in San Antonio during the co-main event.
The Tale of the Tape:
UFC.com shows that Alistair Overeem owns a three-inch reach advantage (80 inches to 77 inches) over Walt Harris, with Harris owning a 2.5-inch leg reach advantage (47 inches to 44.5 inches) over Overeem heading into the main event.
Prediction: Walt Harris by unanimous decision.
Other fights on Saturday night’s main card include:
No. 6 contender Claudia Gadelha (17-4) vs, Angela Hill (12-7) [Strawweight co-main event]
No. 15 contender Dan Ige (13-2) vs. No. 11 Edson Barboza (20-8) [Featherweight]
Eryk Anders (13-4) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (21-4) [Middleweight]
No. 14 contender Song Yadong (15-1-1, one no-contest) vs. No. 15 contender Marlon Vera (15-5-1) [Featherweight]
UFC on ESPN 8 at a Glance: (all times Saturday)
Undercard: 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT, ESPN
Main Card: 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT, ESPN
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