The UFC returns to the Apex Center after Sportsbook the year with three events at Fight Island. Headlining the first card on American soil in 2021 is a heavyweight tilt between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov. UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov takes place on February 6.
This is a pivotal fight in the heavyweight division for both of these men, possibly even more so for Overeem, who wants one more push for a title shot but is 40 years old. I have a preview along with all of the UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov odds and predictions below.
Overeem finds himself on yet another two-fight winning streak but hasn’t had three victories in a row since he won four straight from 2014 to 2016. A win here at least keeps him in contention to fight for gold, while a loss puts him in a precarious spot.
Volkov has struggled to find his footing after bursting into the UFC in 2016. He had won four in a row but has been on a win-one, lose-one streak over his last four.
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov odds and has listed Volkov as the -200 favorite with Overeem coming back at +160. This means you would have to bet $200 to profit $100 with a Volkov win, while a $100 bet on an Overeem win would profit you $160.
See Odds Shark’s Best UFC Sites
Looking at the Overeem vs Volkov odds, our sports betting calculator tells us Volkov’s odds of -200 represent an implied win probability of 66.67 percent while Overeem’s implied win probability is 38.46 percent.
- Main Card
- Heavyweight – Alistair Overeem (+160) vs Alexander Volkov (-200)
- Bantamweight – Cory Sandhagen (-400) vs Frankie Edgar (+300)
- Lightweight – Michael Johnson (-225) vs Clay Guida (+175)
- Flyweight – Alexandre Pantoja (-120) vs Manel Kape (-110)
- Bantamweight – Cody Stamann (-550) vs Askar Askarov (+375)
- Lightweight – Diego Ferreira (-120) vs Beneil Dariush (-110)
- Prelims
- Light Heavyweight – Mike Rodriguez (-250) vs Danilo Marques (+195)
- Bantamweight – Martin Day (+325) vs Timur Valiev (-450)
- Catchweight – Devonte Smith (-325) vs Justin Jaynes (+250)
- Women’s Bantamweight – Karol Rosa (-250) vs Joselyne Edwards (+195)
- Women’s Flyweight – Molly McCann (-150) vs Lara Procopio (+120)
- Featherweight – Seungwoo Choi (+195) vs Youssef Zalal (-250)
- Catchweight – Ode Osbourne (-225) vs Jerome Rivera (+175)
New to betting on the fights? Check out our UFC betting guide to help you get in the action. Also, be sure to keep an eye on our UFC odds page for the latest up-to-date betting lines.
- Date/Time: February 6, 5 p.m. ET
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arena: UFC Apex Center
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Alistair Overeem vs Alexander Volkov Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alistair Overeem | +160 |
| Alexander Volkov | -200 |
Alexander “Drago” Volkov (-200) was well on his way to a title fight when he found himself up against Derrick Lewis on the main card of UFC 229 headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor. However, Volkov got caught with 11 seconds left in that fight, losing by knockout, and is now clawing his way back up the rankings. Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem (+160) has climbed up the rankings but has been stopped by the top guys in the division. He says he wants one more title run before he retires – he needs a win here.
- If you want to talk about experience, look no further than ‘Reem. This will be his 67th pro MMA fight but he had a career in kickboxing as well.
- Of his 66 pro MMA fights, 57 have been stoppages. He has 25 knockouts and 17 submission wins, while also being knocked out 14 times and submitted once.
- Early in the Demolition Man’s career, he was almost solely a striker with the odd takedown here and there. However, since his loss to Curtis Blaydes in 2018, he has secured seven takedowns in his last five fights, including three in his win over Augusto Sakai in September.
- Overeem has a very high fight IQ, constantly reading his opponents’ movements and game-planning how to approach them. He has good conditioning and good defense, allowing him to stay fresh late into the fight. Additionally, his diverse striking skill set makes him dangerous in any range, but specifically, kicking and knees in the clinch are his bread and butter.
- At times, with Overeem’s patience, he can be blitzed as he covers up and protects himself. But if his foe continues striking, it puts him in a spot where he may lose a round or even the fight as he hides behind his defensive shell.
- Overeem’s last three fights were Jairzinho Rozenstruik (loss – knockout), Walt Harris (win – knockout) and Augusto Sakai (win – knockout).
- Drago also brings a wealth of experience, having won heavyweight titles in M-1 Global and Bellator. That said, at 32 years old, this is his 41st pro fight; he still has some work to do to catch Overeem.
- Of Volkov’s 40 pro fights, his hand has been raised 32 times, with 21 of those victories coming by knockout. He has been stopped four times, twice by knockout and twice by submission.
- He is an excellent boxer and a big heavyweight, standing six-foot-seven, but he has the same reach as Overeem at 80 inches. Volkov has struggled with takedowns in the past, despite once holding the highest takedown defense percentage in the UFC; not many men were shooting for takedowns at that point. Curtis Blaydes took him down 14 times last June.
- Volkov is an intimidating figure as he constantly moves forward and forces his opponents to circle around the cage. Although he closes the distance, he doesn’t get into wild exchanges but rather his opponents will engage with him when they feel trapped and he counters powerfully and accurately.
- The best approach to get Volkov in trouble is forcing him to strike first as he tends to keep his hands low when throwing strikes, Sportsbook him up for counters.
- Volkov’s last three fights were Greg Hardy (win – unanimous decision), Curtis Blaydes (loss – unanimous decision) and Walt Harris (win – knockout).
Prediction: Alistair Overeem (+160) via decision
Cory Sandhagen vs Frankie Edgar Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cory Sandhagen | -400 |
| Frankie Edgar | +300 |
Following a knockout win over Marlon Moraes in October, Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen (-400) looks to make it two in a row and solidify himself as the No. 1 contender in the bantamweight division. Meanwhile, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (+300) had a successful bantamweight debut, beating Pedro Munhoz following back-to-back losses at featherweight.
- Sandhagen parlayed a seven-fight win streak into a No. 1 contender fight with Aljamain Sterling in June of last year but lost via first-round submission. A win here puts him back in the title conversation or perhaps in a fight with T.J. Dillashaw.
- He has finished eight of his 13 wins, five by knockout and three by submission. Sandman is an aggressive fighter with 6.88 significant strikes per minute and he has outstruck six of his seven UFC opponents.
- Cory switches stances effectively, allowing him to throw strikes from a variety of different angles, and he mixes those strikes up to keep his opponents on edge. With his ability to switch stances, he catches his foes when he steps through and fires a heavy strike while they think he’s switching.
- Sandhagen’s last three fights were Raphael Assuncao (win – unanimous decision), Aljamain Sterling (loss – submission) and Marlon Moraes (win – knockout).
- The former lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger hopes his new weight class will give him an opportunity to fight for gold again.
- Edgar is a decision machine with 19 of his 32 pro fights going to the judges’ scorecards. This is mainly due to his grappling approach, which can eat up large chunks of time. He averages 2.28 takedowns per 15 minutes.
- The Answer is a gritty fighter, always pushing the pace with plenty of combinations while mixing in takedowns. Frankie also has good footwork, dancing around the outside of the cage looking for his opponent to freeze before engaging. He looked fast in his bantamweight debut.
- Edgar’s last three fights were Max Holloway (loss – unanimous decision), Korean Zombie (loss – knockout) and Pedro Munhoz (win – split decision).
Prediction: Cory Sandhagen (-400) via decision
Michael Johnson vs Clay Guida Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Michael Johnson | -225 |
| Clay Guida | +175 |
A pair of UFC veterans will entertain before the co-main and main events of the evening. Michael “The Menace” Johnson (-225) searches for his first victory since 2018, currently riding a three-fight losing skid. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (+175) hasn’t secured a win since May 2019, dropping his last two contests.
- Johnson lost in the Ultimate Fighter Finale season 12 way back in 2010 and this will be his 24th walk to the Octagon. The Menace has a record of 20-16 with 10 of his wins coming by stoppage (eight knockouts, two submissions) while 11 of his defeats were stoppages (two knockouts, nine submissions).
- He has been in the cage with the who’s who of the lightweight division, posting wins over Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson while losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje and Nate Diaz.
- The 34-year-old has a wide stance with fast and powerful hands. He typically cuts the cage off effectively, bullying his opponents into engaging with him and then looking to end the night with his big left hand. He tends to be a little one-dimensional in relying on that left hand, though, which can make him predictable.
- Johnson’s last three fights were Josh Emmett (loss – knockout), Steven Ray (loss – majority decision) and Thiago Moises (loss – submission).
- If you thought Johnson has a wealth of experience, Guida says hold my beer. This will be the 30th UFC fight for The Carpenter, who made his UFC debut in 2006. He is 35-20 with 20 stoppage victories (seven knockouts, 13 submissions) and 12 stoppage losses (two knockouts, 10 submissions).
- The 39-year-old is best known for his perpetual motion as he is a cardio king and for his long hair that bounces all over the place.
- Like many other Alpha Male Team members, Guida typically will chain together a few punches into a takedown attempt. A common path to victory for him is outwrestling his opponents but if the fight is stuck standing, he relies heavily on his wild right hand, which is usually thrown from the hip.
- Guida’s last three fights were B.J. Penn (win – unanimous decision), Jim Miller (loss – submission) and Bobby Green (loss – unanimous decision).
Prediction: Michael Johnson (-225) via decision
Alexandre Pantoja vs Manel Kape Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexandre Pantoja | -120 |
| Manel Kape | -110 |
The former Rizin bantamweight champion, Manel “Prodigio” Kape (-110), is ready to make his UFC debut, riding a three-fight winning streak, all by knockout. He’s taking on a staple of the UFC bantamweight division in Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja (-120), who looks to return to the win column following his decision loss last July.
- The Cannibal dropped his only fight in 2020 to Askar Askarov, a potential title challenger. That loss was the second over Pantoja’s last three fights, with the previous defeat coming to the current champion, Deiveson Figueiredo.
- Of Pantoja’s 22 pro wins, 16 have been finishes, with eight knockouts and eight submissions. All five of his losses have come by decision.
- He is a wild, aggressive fighter both on the feet and on the floor. Like many Brazilian fighters, he has great kicks and is primarily a counterpuncher. On the floor, he is very active in searching for submissions and chains attempts together very well.
- Pantoja’s last three fights were Deiveson Figueiredo (loss – unanimous decision), Matt Schnell (win – knockout) and Askar Askarov (loss – unanimous decision).
- Kape has had an up-and-down recent stretch, dropping three of four fights in a one-year span, followed quickly by a three-fight winning streak in a year, all by knockout and avenging one of those losses. He was a replacement fighter for Figueiredo vs Moreno in the event that either fighter couldn’t compete.
- Of the Prodigio’s 15 pro wins, 14 have been finishes, with nine knockouts and five submissions. Of his four losses, two were by submission and two by decision.
- He is a fairly aggressive fighter, marching forward with his hands high, and when he lets his hands fly, it is clear he’s looking to end the fight in a hurry. Kape switches stances effectively and moves like a boxer.
- Kape’s last three fights were Seilchiro Ito (win – knockout), Takeya Mizugaki (win – knockout) and Kai Asakura (win – knockout).
Prediction: Manel Kape (-110) via decision
Cody Stamann vs Askar Askarov Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cody Stamann | -550 |
| Askar Askarov | +375 |
Cody “The Spartan” Stamann (-550) hopes to return to the win column after a unanimous-decision loss to Jimmie Rivera in July. He will look to do so against late-notice replacement Askar “AK47” Askarov (+375), who is making his UFC debut, taking the fight after Andre Ewell pulled out on Monday, February 1.
- Going the distance is nothing new for Stamann with 14 of his 23 pro fights going to the judges’ scorecards, including seven of his last eight. Among his stoppages, he has six knockouts and two submission wins, with one submission loss as well.
- The Spartan is patient, typically fighting on the outside looking for his opponents to engage with him so he can level change and take them to the canvas. He averages 3.03 takedowns per 15 minutes and has landed at least one takedown in six of his eight UFC fights.
- On the feet, Stamann makes sure he maintains distance and will only engage after his foe throws at him, countering with a flurry of punches.
- Stamann’s last three fights were Song Yadong (majority draw), Brian Kelleher (win – unanimous decision) and Jimmie Rivera (loss – unanimous decision).
- Askarov suffered his first professional loss in February 2020, getting knocked out in 30 seconds. He rebounded with a unanimous-decision win over Kevin Wirth in October.
- He has earned stoppages in six of his 11 wins, five by knockout and one by submission. His striking is diverse with quick uppercuts and wild hooks. He has good power and enjoys getting into an all-out brawl.
- Askarov can be goaded into getting into the pocket and exchanging hands, which led to him being knocked out in his only loss. But if he starts throwing bombs from his hip, he could be taken down, though his grappling skills should not be overlooked.
- Askarov’s last three fights were Alberto Martinez Jr. (win – unanimous decision), Saidyokub Kakhramonov (loss – knockout) and Kevin Wirth (win – unanimous decision).
Prediction: Cody Stamann (-550) via decision
Diego Ferreira vs Beneil Dariush Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Diego Ferreira | -120 |
| Beneil Dariush | -110 |
This is a great fight to kick off the main card and a lengthy winning streak will be coming to an end. Beneil Dariush (-110) has won each of his last five fights, including a four-fight finish streak. Meanwhile, Diego Ferreira (-120) is riding a six-fight winning streak and looks to avenge a decision loss to Dariush back in 2014, one of just two losses on his record.
- Known more for his submission skills, Ferriera has secured all three of his knockout wins over his last seven victories, after 10 wins without one. He has only been stopped once, by Dustin Poirier via knockout in 2015.
- Diego is an aggressive fighter, always moving forward looking to close the distance and get into a grappling exchange. That said, he doesn’t mind putting his chin out and getting into an all-out brawl with an opponent either.
- He is deceptively strong and if he can get his opponent thinking about his striking, it makes his grappling skills even more dangerous when he catches them by surprise. Ferriera does much of his work in the clinch against the cage.
- Ferreira’s last three fights were Rustam Khabilov (win – unanimous decision), Mairbek Taisumov (win – unanimous decision) and Anthony Pettis (win – submission).
- Set to make his 19th walk to the Octagon and continue his quest to climb up the lightweight rankings, Dariush had a previous five-fight winning streak in the UFC from 2014 into 2016 before getting stopped by Michael Chiesa.
- Only seven of Dariush’s 24 fights have gone the distance as all four of his losses were stoppages (three knockouts and a submission) while he has 13 wins by finish, five by knockout and eight by submission.
- Like Ferriera, Dariush likes to get into grappling exchanges, averaging 1.75 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing nine over his five-fight winning streak. He also landed three in his win over Ferriera.
- Dariush’s striking has definitely evolved and he does a good job maintaining distance with straight punches and powerful kicks. That said, he doesn’t mind getting into a good ole-fashioned brawl as well.
- Dariush’s last three fights were Frank Camacho (win – submission), Drakkar Klose (win – knockout) and Scott Holtzman (win – knockout).
Prediction: Beneil Dariush (-110) via decision
UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Volkov Best Bets
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Heavyweight – Alistair Overeem | +160 |
| Bantamweight – Cory Sandhagen | -400 |
| Lightweight – Michael Johnson | -225 |
| Flyweight – Manel Kape | -110 |
| Bantamweight – Cody Stamann | -550 |
| Lightweight – Beneil Dariush | -110 |
