Blaydes vs Overeem UFC 225 : Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Alistair Overeem apparently didn’t get any sort of explanation as to why, but they don’t seem particularly upset over the news their fight has been repositioned from UFC 225’s main card to the featured preliminary-card slot.
After originally being announced as part of UFC 225’s five-bout main card, UFC officials on Saturday revealed some adjustments to the bout order for the June 9 event, which takes place at United Center in Chicago and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The most notable of those changes saw Blaydes (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) vs. Overeem (43-16 MMA, 8-5 UFC) shift down the prelims, which is a somewhat perplexing move given its status as a potential heavyweight title eliminator. Yet, another heavyweight bout – between former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski (27-15 MMA, 16-9 UFC) and unbeaten up-and-comer Tai Tuivasa (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) – remains on the main card.
Although fighting on a PPV card carries a certain amount of prestige, there’s a legitimate argument that fighting in the featured prelim spot actually garners more viewers. Blaydes, a 27-year-old Illinois native, didn’t seem particularly bothered by the switch. He said he was not informed ahead of time but decided to look at the positive side of the situation after the news came out (via Instagram):
