Curtis Blaydes Vs. Alexander Volkov Rebooked For June 20 UFC Event In Las Vegas

While the UFC has had to move around fights due to the coronavirus, there were able to salvage one main event scheduled for later this year. The promotion announced that a heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov will main event a UFC event on June 20.

Originally scheduled to take place in Saskatoon before the coronavirus pandemic, the two will reportedly now fight inside the UFC’s APEX Center. This comes after a ruling by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Blaydes (13-2, 1NC) is currently on a three-fight win streak. After losing to Francis Ngannou for the second time, which ended a five-fight unbeaten streak, “Razor” beat Justin Willis via unanimous decision and beat both Shamil Abdurakhimov (UFC 242) and Junior dos Santos (January 2020) via TKO. The 29-year-old is ranked third in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings.

Volkov (31-7) last fought in November, beating former NFL star Greg Hardy via unanimous decision. Before that, “Drago” was on a six-fight win streak before losing to Derrick Lewis at UFC 229 in October 2018. A bout Volkov was winning, he lost his shot at the UFC Heavyweight Title after Lewis knocked him out with about ten seconds left into the fight. Volkov is ranked seventh in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings.

One thing to look into for this fight: Volkov’s visa status. If Volkov, currently in Russia, is unable to enter the United States, “Fight Island” could be a possibility for the bout.