The UFC will ease into its post-Mayweather-McGregor schedule this weekend, with a UFC Fight Night offering in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The last time the promotion visited this region, in May 2016, a Dutch heavyweight -- Alistair Overeem -- delivered a win for the home crowd. History has a chance to repeat on Saturday.
Stefan Struve, of Beverwijk, Netherlands, will meet Russian heavyweight Alexander Volkov in the main event. Both are riding two-fight win streaks in the UFC.
Let's take a closer look at this matchup and predict a winner for Saturday's event.
Stefan Struve (28-8) vs. Alexander Volkov (28-6), Heavyweight
Odds: Volkov -120, Struve +100
Breakdown: So look, Volkov is not the most exciting heavyweight in the world. What makes him effective doesn't necessarily stand out to -- or wow -- the naked eye, but that doesn't mean he can't win his share of fights.
He's good at utilizing his size (6-foot-7 height, 80-inch reach). He's energy-efficient, doesn't load up on punches. Makes use of the jab. Good knees in the clinch.
And another thing: He's fresh. He doesn't have as dynamic a skill set as some of the familiar names at the top of this division, but many of those familiar names have spent the last decade beating one another up.
Volkov is 28, holds up well to a high pace and his chin is still very much intact. That's certainly worth noting.
This is a rare instance in which Volkov will not be the bigger man, though. At 6-11 with an 83-inch reach, Struve owns a monopoly on size advantage. He hasn't always used it well, but he has always had it.
In general, Volkov is probably the more technical striker. There's just very little effort behind his strikes -- they're relatively quick and straight to the target -- short inside leg kicks, front kicks to the midsection or jabs. He can string together punches on the move when he feels he has someone backing up.
And that's something Struve needs to avoid: backing up. He has never been a terrific counter-fighter moving backward, and has actually taken a lot of damage while doing so on multiple occasions. Despite his size, he enjoys crowding opponents at times, which can be a good thing when it leads to a takedown. Struve is a fun striker (his lack of defense has something to do with that), but the best aspect of his game is arguably his grappling.
Volkov has shown good takedown defense, but Struve can be creative in how he gets opponents down. If Struve can get this to the floor -- hit an outside trip or even pull guard if he has to -- Volkov could be in trouble.
Prediction: Struve via submission, third round.