UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris

UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris was a planned mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship originally planned to take place on April 11, 2020 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed (see section below).[2]

UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateApril 11, 2020 (cancelled)
VenueModa Center
CityPortland, Oregon, United States
Event chronology
UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira

Background

The event was expected to be the third that the organization hosted in Portland, following UFC 102 in August 2009 and UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson in October 2016.[1]

A heavyweight bout between the former 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion and UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris was expected to serve as the event headliner.[1] The pairing had previously been scheduled to headline UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik on December 7, 2019 but Harris pulled out of the fight in early November, citing the disappearance and death of his stepdaughter in her home state of Alabama.[3][4]

A middleweight bout between Abu Azaitar and Alessio Di Chirico was scheduled for the event.[5] However, Azaitar was pulled from the event for an undisclosed reason and replaced by Markus Perez.[6]

A middleweight bout between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan was initially scheduled for UFC 248.[7] However, it was announced on February 20 that the bout had been rescheduled and would serve as the co-headliner for this event.[8]

COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon governor Kate Brown issued an order restricting mass gatherings and sporting events on March 12, thus the UFC decided to move the event to Las Vegas where it would take place behind closed doors at the UFC APEX facility.[9] UFC president Dana White then announced on March 15 that this event would have to be moved once again as the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) decided to provisionally ban events until March 25, when a new meeting would discuss future plans in what could jeopardize this event's realization.[10] On March 16, it was confirmed that the event was postponed after a letter from White to employees was shared to the public.[2] This was the first time that the promotion was forced to cancel events due to vis major. The UFC also cancelled two events scheduled for March 21 and 28.[11] White assured on March 24 that all cancelled fights will be rescheduled for future events.[12]

Cancelled fight card
Fight card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Heavyweight Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris [lower-alpha 1]
Middleweight Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan [lower-alpha 2]
Women's Strawweight Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson [lower-alpha 3]
Welterweight Vicente Luque vs. Randy Brown [lower-alpha 4]
Middleweight Eryk Anders vs. Krzysztof Jotko [lower-alpha 5]
Middleweight Markus Perez vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Welterweight Niko Price vs. Muslim Salikhov [lower-alpha 6]
Lightweight Tristan Connelly vs. Alex da Silva Coelho
Welterweight Cole Williams vs. Philip Rowe
Women's Bantamweight Julia Avila vs. Karol Rosa [lower-alpha 7]
Heavyweight Don'Tale Mayes vs. Rodrigo Nascimento [lower-alpha 8]
Lightweight Davi Ramos vs. Arman Tsarukyan [lower-alpha 9]
  1. Moved to UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris.[13]
  2. Moved to UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan.[14]
  3. Moved to UFC 249.[15]
  4. Luque later booked to face Niko Price at UFC 249.[16]
  5. Moved to UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris.[13]
  6. Price later booked to face Vicente Luque at UFC 249.[16]
  7. Moved to UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman.[17]
  8. Moved to UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira.[13]
  9. Moved to UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2.[18]

[19]

See also

References
  1. Tim Brown (2020-02-08). "UFC Fight Night coming to Portland on April 11, headlined by Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris". oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  2. Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-03-15). "UFC postpones three events amid growing coronavirus outbreak". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  3. Mike Bohn (2019-11-01). "Walt Harris withdraws from UFC on ESPN 7 headliner vs. Alistair Overeem". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  4. Adam Guillen Jr. (2019-11-27). "Aniah Blanchard confirmed dead following autopsy report". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  5. Staff (2019-12-27). "Azaitar vs. Di Chirico and Avila vs. Rosa added to UFC event on April 11". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2019-12-27. (in Dutch)
  6. Kenai Andrews (2020-02-08). "UFC on ESPN+ 30: Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson added". mmacrossfire.com. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  7. Tristen Critchfield (2020-01-22). "Middleweights Derek Brunson, Edmen Shahbazyan to clash at UFC 248 in Las Vegas". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  8. Staff (2020-02-20). "Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan moved from UFC 248 to UFC Portland". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-02-20. (in Dutch)
  9. Staff (2020-03-12). "Coronavirus: UFC schedule continues for next several weeks, but with some adjustments". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  10. Steven Marrocco (2020-03-15). "UFC to move next three events, Dana White vows show will go on despite coronavirus pandemic". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  11. Brett Okamoto (2020-03-16). "UFC postponing next three events, Dana White says". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  12. Farah Hannoun (2020-03-24). "Dana White: All called-off fights, including Tyron Woodley vs. Leon Edwards, are being rescheduled". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  13. Nolan King (2020-05-01). "Dana White announces full list of UFC matchups for May 13, May 16 events in Florida". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  14. Danny Segura (2020-06-08). "Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan booked for UFC Fight Night event on August 1". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  15. Brett Okamoto (2020-04-24). "UFC schedules three fight cards, led by UFC 249 on May 9 in Florida with no fans". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  16. Alexander K. Lee (2020-04-06). "UFC 249 fight card announced, Andrade vs. Namajunas 2 still co-headlines". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  17. Staff (2020-04-08). "Various battles for upcoming events have been announced". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-04-08. (in Dutch)
  18. Staff (2020-06-11). "BREAKING: Davi Ramos vs. Arman Tsarukyan added to the July 18 event on Yas Island". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-12. (in Dutch)
  19. "UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
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