Volkov stops Overeem with 2nd-round TKO in UFC main event

Alexander Volkov cemented himself as a top-five heavyweight with a TKO win over Alistair Overeem on Saturday.

Volkov finished Overeem at 2:06 of the second round in the UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas.

He dropped Overeem with a left hand after battering him throughout the frame. Referee Jason Herzog halted the contest before Volkov could land ground-and-pound.

"I feel really excited, and I feel like it's my time," Volkov said in his postfight interview. "I'm coming for the belt."

Overeem connected with a few big shots in the first round, but Volkov started to find his range toward the end of the stanza and bloodied his opponent. Volkov's striking became more consistent in the second round as he sliced through Overeem's guard, eventually landing the fight-ending punch.

"I felt like I could finish him maybe in the second or third round," Volkov said. "I saw his face - he had a lot of cuts and blood on his face. I was waiting for a good punch, and I did it."

Volkov entered Saturday's main event as the No. 6-ranked heavyweight and has now won two straight bouts. "Drago" is 7-2 in the Octagon, with his only defeats coming against current top-five heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

Overeem, who was ranked No. 5 before Saturday, saw his two-fight winning streak end. The defeat is his first loss since a fifth-round TKO against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in December 2019.

It's unclear what's next for the 40-year-old, who has held titles in Strikeforce, Dream, and K-1 throughout a legendary career that dates back to 1999. Overeem has referred to this latest chapter of his career as "one final run." He's been gunning for another UFC title shot, but that's not in his immediate future after falling short against Volkov. Overeem has also said that retirement isn't too far off.