Alistair Overeem slated to return against Augusto Sakai

Heavyweight MMA legend Alistair Overeem is set to return to the Octagon on September 5 against Augusto Sakai.

News of the bout, which is expected to serve as the card’s main event, was first reported by ESPN.

Overeem is riding high after a second-round TKO win against Walt Harris at UFC on ESPN 8 in May. He almost achieved the same against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his next bout prior, but his opponent was able to turn the tables and deliver a last-second TKO victory. If it hadn’t been for that shocking loss at the hands of Rozenstruik, Overeem would have accomplished a four-fight win streak and arguably be next in line for a title shot. However, the twists and turns of fate have resulted in an upcoming showdown against the Bellator veteran Sakai.

The Brazilian has been rapidly punching his way through the UFC heavyweight division. The 29-year old only made his UFC debut in September of 2019 after appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series. He has gone on to amass four victories including two TKO finishes. He currently has a record of 15-1-1 and is yet to be defeated since joining the UFC roster.

A victory against Overeem would likely be Sakai’s biggest career accomplishment to date. On the other side of the coin, if Overeem can finish the Brazilian contender, he could be in prime position for another heavyweight title shot.

Earlier this year Overeem announced his goal to fight one more time for the belt before hanging up his gloves for good.

The location of this fight has not been released, but a likely venue is the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s also possible the the fight could land on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, depending on travel restrictions.

Do you think Alistair Overeem will defeat Augusto Sakai and earn another shot at the UFC heavyweight title? Or will the Brazilian fighter dash Overeem’s title dreams and take a big step toward his own shot at gold?