During Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 129 card, the UFC revealed that they made some adjustments to the bout order at June 9’s UFC 225 event and the featherweight contest between Holly Holm and Megan Anderson promoted to the main card, the winner likely gets the next shot at champion Cris Cyborg. So Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Alistair Overeem’s bout have been demoted from PPV to the FS1 prelims.
Blaydes and Overeem took to social to address the switch, with Overeem didn’t seem to bother much but said he wasn’t informed ahead of time.
Just found out that our fight June 9 is on the prelims?! What do you guys think of that decision? #ufc225 @UFCEurope @ufc pic.twitter.com/zxMSkNCCdf
— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) May 20, 2018
For the record I have no problem with the decision because now people in Europe don't have to stay up late and the sooner the better.
— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) May 20, 2018
Blaydes took to Twitter first and joke about the switch then took to Instagram but didn’t seem to upset on that at all:
🤷🏾♂️ we’re still getting paid right https://t.co/CU8QzHUIa0
— Curtis Blaydes (@RazorBlaydes265) May 20, 2018
“I’ve got no idea why the change was made and tbh idc it literally changes nothing, still getting paid and still have a job to do. Only perk is now I get to clock out of work closer to 8 as opposed to like 10ish”
Overeem most fought at the main event or co-main at the entirety of UFC career which dates back to December 2011. This marks Alistair’s first bout being at prelims.
The card features a middleweight title bout between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero; the co-main includes an interim welterweight title fight between Rafael Dos Anjos and Colby Covington, a bunch of other great fights, and CM Punk.
The question arises here, why UFC put former WWE superstar CM Punk’s upcoming fight on the PPV portion of the card, who is going for his second UFC outing with Mike Jackson, lost his professional debut in MMA at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall. Some MMA fans are disgusted that a Punk has made his way onto the UFC’s roster without winning any MMA fight yet.