UFC Fight Night 50 on September 5 is suddenly one of the sexiest free fight cards you'll find of late, with a heavyweight tilt between Alistair Overeem and Ben Rothwell being announced. The story was first broken by Fox Sports' Damon Martin and then confirmed by the UFC on Fox on Twitter:
Breaking fight: Alistair Overeem vs Ben Rothwell added to UFC Fight Night in Connecticut -- http://t.co/5Sn4UA90md #UFCFightNight #UFC
— UFCONFOX (@UFCONFOX) July 10, 2014
Alistair Overeem hit a harsh skid after failing a 2012 drug test for a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. While he was slated for a heavyweight title fight with then-champion Junior dos Santos, a NSAC suspension shelved him for nine months. Upon his return, he suffered a devastating knockout loss at the hands of Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and followed that up with a similarly disappointing fight with Travis Browne.
That loss pushed him to the brink of being released by the UFC, but he bounced back with a lopsided decision win over aging former champion Frank Mir. Despite his struggles, Overeem remains among the heavyweight division's elite and could easily find himself in a title fight with another win or two.
Who takes it?
Ben Rothwell, meanwhile, is returning from a suspension of his own. Rothwell was one of the better heavyweight fighters from 2006 through 2008, putting up a 13-fight winning streak in various promotions, most notably the defunct IFL promotion. Since its closure, he has been alternating wins and losses, dropping fights to Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, Mark Hunt and Gabriel Gonzaga while defeating the likes of Gilbert Yvel, Brendan Schaub and Brandon Vera.
Following his win over Brandon Vera at UFC 164, however, he failed a post-fight drug test for elevated levels of testosterone. The failure stemmed from his over-use of the now-illegal testosterone replacement therapy, and it earned him a nine-month suspension.
In addition to Rothwell vs. Overeem, the UFC also announced earlier on Wednesday that a UFC 176 matchup between Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo Souza was being rescheduled for the UFC Fight Night 50 card. It is unknown which of these fights will serve as the main event.
Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.
