Alistair Overeem had nothing but good things to say about his opponent after his last defeat.
The 67-fight veteran fell to Alexander Volkov in the second round of the UFC Vegas 18 main event on Saturday, succumbing to a series of attacks that left him stunned with referee Jason Herzog jumping on to save him. It was the eighth knockout loss in Overeem’s UFC career.
On Sunday, Overeem released a statement via Instagram in which he calls Volkov “a true warrior” and reveals that his nose was broken by a punch in the initial assault.
“Yesterday was not my night,” wrote Overeem. “I couldn’t recover from that punch in the first round after I broke my nose.”
Overeem had a two-game winning streak with a loss to Volkov. Much of the pre-fight construction revolved around Overeem potentially in his last run for the UFC title, which he previously fought at UFC 203 in a defeat against Stipe Miocic. He has already won titles in the Strikeforce and DREAM promotions, and won a K-1 World Grand Prix tournament in 2010.
With his 41st birthday coming up in May this year, Overeem did not mention any immediate plans for his career in his testimony, just adding that he intends to rest and recover.
“My top priority now is to heal myself and spend well-deserved time with my family,” wrote Overeem. “I’ll be back at the gym soon.”
Overeem’s UFC record dropped to 12-8 with the loss.
See his full testimonial below:
You are a true warrior [Alexander Volkov] Congratulations for the victory!
Yesterday was not my night. I couldn’t recover from that punch in the first round after I broke my nose.
My top priority now is to heal myself and spend some well-deserved time with the family. I’ll be back in the gym soon.
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