Alistair Overeem was supposed to fight Walt Harris on Dec. 7, but far more serious matters are at hand.
Harris’ 19-year-old stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, hasn’t been seen since Oct. 23. After Alabama police gathered evidence from Blanchard’s 2017 Honda CRV, they determined that Blanchard was the victim of foul play. The car was found in the parking lot of a Montgomery, Ala. apartment building.
MMAJunkie.com reported that “The Big Ticket” has decided to withdraw from his planned UFC Washington main event given the circumstances. There has been no word on who Overeem’s replacement opponent will be.
Overeem issued a brief statement on Harris’ withdrawal to the South China Morning Post and offered support for “The Big Ticket.”
“Our thoughts go out to Walt and his family,” Overeem said. “As a father, I can only imagine how devastating this must be. I would have made the same decision. Family is the most important thing in life.”
UFC president Dana White released a video on social media urging anyone with information on Blanchard’s disappearance to call the police. White is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for Blanchard’s disappearance. This adds to Alabama governor Kay Ivey’s $5,000 reward.
If you have information on the disappearance of Aniah Blanchard, you can call the police at 334-501-3140, the anonymous tip line at 334-246-1391, or you can call the 24-hour non-emergency number at 334-501-3100.
