Alistair Overeem and Ben Rothwell are set to tangle when the Ultimate Fighting Championship heads to Connecticut in September.
The organization Wednesday announced the heavyweight bout, which will take place on the Sept. 5 UFC Fight Night card at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn. The event will also house a top-10 middleweight duel between Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo Souza.
Overeem, 34, has been out of action since February, when he snapped a two-fight losing skid by routing Frank Mir in a unanimous decision at UFC 169. In April, the Dutch “Demolition Man” underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from both elbows and relieve ulnar nerve entrapment. Once a member of the Florida-based Blackzilians camp, Overeem recently joined up with Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M.
Rothwell will compete for the first time since punching out Brandon Vera in August 2013. After the bout, the 32-year-old Wisconsin native tested positive for elevated testosterone levels and was suspended for nine months by the UFC. The “North Star” has alternated wins and losses in six bouts since joining the UFC in 2009.
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