Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov verbally agree to headline UFC Saskatoon

A heavyweight headliner is in the works to headline the UFC’s return to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov have verbally agreed to face off June 20 in a five-round main event fight. Thursday, MMA Junkie confirmed the agreement following an initial report from Russian outlet Sports.ru.

Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is riding a three-fight winning streak entering his first professional bout on Canadian soil. After losing to Francis Ngannou in November 2018, Blaydes stormed back to defeat Justin Willis, Shamil Aburakhimov and former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos.

Following his TKO win over Dos Santos in January, Blaydes voiced his hope for a title fight. However, Blaydes said he wouldn’t be willing to sit around and wait for other championship fights to happen before him. Blaydes said he wanted to stay active.

As for Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1), the Russian big man punched his ticket back into the win column in November. In his own backyard, Volkov picked apart former NFL star Greg Hardy en route to a unanimous decision victory.

The UFC’s return to SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon after a nearly five-year absence takes place June 20. It is expected to be either an ESPN or ESPN+ event.

With the addition, the latest UFC Saskatoon lineup includes:

• Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov
• Gillian Robertson vs. Taila Santos
• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota