Heavyweight legend Alistair Overeem (46-18, 24 KOs, 17 SUBs) will meet prospect Augusto Sakai (15-1, 11 KOs) at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai on Saturday, September 5, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on ESPN starting at 9pm ET. The matchup headlines a card that also features high-flying welterweight Michel Pereira (23-11, 10 KOs, 6 SUBs) and Russian Zelim Imadaev (8-2, 8 KOs) Also on the card is a women's flyweight tilt between Viviane Araujo (8-2, 3 KOs, 4 SUBs) and submission specialist Montana De La Rosa (11-5, 8 SUBs). Let’s take a closer look at the main event between Overeem and Sakai and break down your best UFC online betting options.
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Alistair Overeem (46-18, 24 KOs, 17 SUBs)
When it comes to best heavyweights in MMA history, Overeem's name belongs near the top of the list. As the only man to hold heavyweight titles in MMA and kickboxing organizations, it’s likely we’ll never see another guy like Overeem. And somehow, at age 40 through 64 pro MMA fights, Overeem is still a hugely important figure in the UFC heavyweight division. Because of his stature, it only takes a few wins for him to get back in the title conversation. Conversely, beating Overeem usually gives the winner the brass to call for a title shot.
It’s unlikely that Overeem ever wins a UFC title, but he has stayed relevant after back-to-back losses against Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes. He's compiled a 3-1 record since then, with knockouts in all three victories. The lone loss came against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and it was a fight that Overeem was easily winning until he caught a last second hail mary that split his lip in two. However, he bounced back with a TKO over Walt Harris in his most recent outing.
Overeem hasn't gotten himself back into the title mix yet, but he seems to be doing just fine playing gatekeeper for big men trying to make names off of him.
Augusto Sakai (15-1, 11 KOs)
The UFC is always looking for heavyweights that head hunt. Sakai fits that mold perfectly, as he's knocked out 11 opponents in 15 career victories. After punching his UFC ticket with a KO win on DWCS, Sakai has gone unbeaten in four octagon appearances. However, his wins haven’t come easy. In four UFC fights, Sakai has gone to split decision twice (against Arlovski and Blagoy Ivanov).
Though he might be tubby, Sakai is an agile big man who moves well. He's not a killshot hitter either, preferring to work a high striking rate to do damage. His lone career loss came against an older Cheick Kongo in Bellator, where the UFC alum was able to press him and come out ahead on points. While Sakai has taken some shots inside the cage, he’s worn them well, showcasing excellent durability in a weight class where everyone can flatline each other. That’s important against one of the most accomplished strikers on the UFC roster.
It’d be nice if Sakai had more reliable one-hitter quitter power - especially against a glass-chinned opponent. But he might not need it either, as it only takes a few hits to put The Reem on wobbly legs.
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Overeem 3.66 / Sakai 5.45
Striking accuracy: Overeem 63% / Sakai 46%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Overeem 2.18 / Sakai 3.89
Striking defense: Overeem 59% / Sakai 55%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Overeem 1.40 / Sakai 0.19
Takedown accuracy: Overeem 54% / Sakai 50%
Takedown defense: Overeem 73% / Sakai 83%
Submission average: Overeem 0.9 / Sakai 0.0
UFC Picks
What makes Overeem fights so entertaining is that they almost always end up in a finish. The Dutchman usually ends it with his power and skills, or his beard ends up betraying him. We’d also lean on The Reem to take the win, as he tends to do well against mid-level fighters like Sakai.
UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai Card & Odds
Heavyweight: Augusto Sakai +118 vs. Alistair Overeem -142
Light Heavyweight: Ovince Saint Preux +113 vs. Alonzo Menifield -137
Welterweight: Zelim Imadaev -113 vs. Michel Pereira -110
Middleweight: Andre Muniz +119 vs. Bartosz Fabinski -142
Lightweight: Jalin Turner +154 vs. Thiago Moises -186
Bantamweight: Cole Smith +176 vs. Hunter Azure -213
Women's Flyweight: Montana De La Rosa +154 vs. Viviane Araujo -186
Lightweight: Khama Worthy -127 vs. Ottman Azaitar +103
Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov -117 vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima -107
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