UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris preview

May 15th, 2020

The big boys are out to play as the UFC looks to make up for lost time with its third show in five six days. On this ESPN+ card, heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Walter Harris finally come to blows with the winner inching closer to a heavyweight title opportunity. This one won’t be for the weak of heart, and we have you covered for the carnage.

Alistair Overeem vs. Walter Harris UFC Fight Night odds

Fighter	Odds

Alistair Overeem	+135
Walter Harris	-170

Overeem is a live dog

In his last fight, Overeem was ahead on the cards and heading for a big win over undefeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik. With four seconds left in the final round, Rozenstruik slumped him in shocking fashion. Even though Overeem is chinny, past his prime, and going up against a big punching prospect, he’s a live dog in this one.

Here's the close-up look you didn't need of Overeem's lip being split on a punch. pic.twitter.com/c3GXnWQUo9
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) December 8, 2019

Harris isn’t going to be a star attraction at heavyweight, but he’s a rough customer and heavy handed. There is a good chance that Overeem’s leaky defense could doom him within the first minute of the fight. Then again, it's more likely he'll get thrown off his game if the veteran tries to make it a chess match instead of a brawl.

Overeem needs to dictate the pace

To survive and win, Overeem will need to work at a methodical pace. Setting up traps for Harris to take counter shots and smothering him at the end of their exchanges is how he'll do it. Once Harris starts to give pause and cedes momentum, Overeem can open up without risk of return fire.

Like the Rozenstruik fight, Overeem could have a commanding lead heading down the stretch and catch hell at the worst time. Should Harris keep his composure and not gas out trying to crack Overeem's chin with every opening he has, he could win this fight by knockout at any time.

Walt Harris (@thebigticket205) will face Alistair Overeem in the UFC Main Event on May 16th, fighting in memory of his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard.

"She was my biggest fan so I know she'll be right there with me watching and rooting me on."

Story: https://t.co/gWrAmj9UQD pic.twitter.com/QQ1nB08rFm
— Rocco DiSangro (@RoccoDiSangro) May 9, 2020

Overeem will pull off the upset

Though Overeem doesn’t have much left to offer the fight game, he still has enough left in the tank to not get eaten alive by this level of competition. While Harris can bomb him out early, Overeem should get out of the first round unscathed. Once he gets a feel for Harris' offense, he'll start picking his spots to engage and get him a win on the cards for the minor upset.