MARK Hunt’s first fight since facing Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 has just been named - a blockbuster at UFC 209 vs Alistair Overeem that could put him right back in the heavyweight title picture.

Overeem (41-15-0, 1NC) vs Hunt (12-10-1, 1NC) will happen on March 4 (March 5 AEDT) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, UFC officials confirmed to FOX Sports Australia.

Hunt, 42, has not fought since his ill-fated clash against Lesnar in July, which was recently overturned from a loss for the ‘Super Samoan’ to a no-contest due to Lesnar testing positive in doping controls (which just saw him suspended for one year). Hunt has waged a war of words against dirty fighters ever since.

Now, he finds himself against highly-decorated No.3 contender Overeem, a match that could catapult him up from his current No.7 ranking. Top contenders Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez (both former champions) will fight a rematch at UFC 207 on New Year’s Eve (AEDT).

Mark Hunt. Source: AFP

Stipe Miocic is the division’s current champion. Miocic delivered Overeem a loss in his last fight, with a brutal Round 1 KO at UFC 203 that completed his first title defence.

Overeem, 36 a heavyweight champion in other promotions but yet to claim the UFC belt, has fought Hunt before. The pair met in the DREAM promotion back in 2008, with the Dutch star winning via a Round 1 submission.

Alistair Overeem. Source: Getty Images

Overeem is not without history when it comes to PED use.

He failed a doping test in 2012, when he produced a testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 14:1 - more than triple the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) allowable limit of 4:1. That failure saw him dropped from a match against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146.

He has not erred in PED testing since, yet has constantly been forced to defend that period of his career, with critics saying his physique has trimmed noticeably since.

It’s a history sure to fire up Hunt, who will have his hands full with Overeem. The Dutchman was on a four-fight winning streak prior to the Miocic KO, beating Andrei Arlovski, Dos Santos, Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve.

Hunt lost a Round 3 decision to Lesnar before the no contest ruling, after beating Frank Mir and Antonio Silva with Round 1 KOs. He lost by Round 5 KO to Miocic and by Round 2 KO to Werdum for the interim championship prior to that.