Heavyweight Alistair Overeem defeats Walt Harris in main event of UFC card

The UFC held its third fight card in eight days Saturday night in Jacksonville, Fla., and heavyweight Alistair Overeem defeated Walt Harris with a second-round TKO in the main event.

Overeem (46-18-0), one day removed from his 40th birthday, rallied after getting cut early in the first round and finished Harris (13-8-0) in the second round with a head kick and big left hand that put Harris down before the fight was stopped.

The fight seemed likely to end early, as just 11 of the opponents’ combined 85 fights have gone to the judges’ scorecard. All of Harris’ 13 wins have come by way of knockout, and nine of Overeem’s last 10 fights ended in a knockout.

The victory puts Overeem back in the heavyweight title picture, but perhaps the biggest winner over the last eight days was UFC President Dana White, who said the company conducted more than 1,100 tests for COVID-19 in Jacksonville and the only three positive results were for Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and his two cornermen.

Souza, who last week informed UFC officials that he came into contact with a family member who might have been infected, was scheduled to fight Uriah Hall in a preliminary match last weekend at UFC 249. He was removed from the card and quarantined.

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Before Saturday’s fight, Conor McGregor tweeted: “UFC on again tonight! Incredible! 3 shows in a week without a hitch. Only the 1 team tested positive pre-fight but was discovered before any risk of further contamination. There is light at the end of this tunnel people! For sports! For schools! For businesses! Let’s go!”