Alistair Overeem - Photo by Patrick Jenkinson/MMAnytt

Alistair Overeem vs. Curtis Blaydes Shifts to Prelims in UFC 225 Reshuffle

The featured preliminary bout for UFC 225 has changed with the heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes moving from the main card.

Some changes have been made to the UFC 225 fight card lineup with a new bout now headlining the prelims airing on FS1.

The heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes will now headline the preliminary broadcast for UFC 225 on Saturday night, June 9 from Chicago.

The women’s featherweight bout between Holly Holm and Megan Anderson has now been shifted from the prelims to the main card for the UFC 225 pay-per-view broadcast.

Originally, Holm vs. Anderson was slated to headline the prelims but the UFC opted to make a move with the women’s fight shifting to the UFC 225 main card.

Both Overeem and Blaydes reacted to the news that they will now headline the preliminary card for UFC 225 versus their previous spot on the main card.

With the UFC currently in negotiations on a new television rights deal, it’s not surprising that the promotion has chosen to stack the preliminary card with a high profiled featured bout such as Overeem vs. Blaydes. The UFC is reportedly offering up the preliminary cards for their pay-per-view broadcasts as part of the package deal for their television rights that begin in 2019.

Meanwhile, a light heavyweight showdown between former champion Rashad Evans and Anthony Smith will now headline the UFC 225 early prelims broadcast airing on UFC Fight Pass.

Here’s the current card as it stands for UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

MAIN EVENT: Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero — middleweight title fight

CO-MAIN EVENT: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington — interim welterweight title fight

Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson

Andrei Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa

CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson

UFC 225 PRELIMS

Alistair Overeem vs. Curtis Blaydes

Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza

Ricardo Lamas vs. Mirsad Bektic

Rashad Coulter vs. Chris De La Rocha

UFC 225 EARLY PRELIMS

Rashad Evans vs. Anthony Smith

Joseph Benavidez vs. Sergio Pettis

Clay Guida vs. Bobby Green

Mike Santiago vs. Dan Ige

*Card subject to change

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Damon Martin is a veteran mixed martial arts journalist who has been covering the industry since 2003 with bylines on FOX Sports, CNN, Bleacher Report and numerous other outlets.