Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC Edmonton, we are going to see a banger in the heavyweight division. The knockout king Derrick Lewis (28-12) is back as he takes on Brazilian kickboxer and undefeated mixed martial artist Jhonata Diniz (8-0).
Starting with Diniz, this is a huge spot for him in just his third fight in the UFC. Diniz earned himself a contract last year on The Contender Series with a first round knockout. He’s gone 2-0 in his first two fights with a knockout over Austen Lane and then a decision win over Karl Williams.
This is a big step up for him in taking on The Black Beast. Derrick Lewis went through a rough patch after challenging for the interim heavyweight title back in 2021. Lewis went just 1-4 starting with that loss to Ciryl Gane. However, he’s 2-1 in his last three with two big knockouts. Most recently, he headlined UFC St. Louis against Rodrigo Nascimento and knocked him out in the third round.
UFC Edmonton Prediction
This is one of the easiest fights to break down you’ll ever find. Neither of these guys are going to be shooting for takedowns. The former kickboxer in Diniz is going to try and takedown Lewis. There might be a world where Derrick Lewis tries to use his size and strength to takedown Diniz and honestly, I think it would be wise.
Derrick Lewis has some of the nastiest ground and pound you’ll ever see. If Lewis were to use the same strategy Francis Ngannou just used against Renan Ferreira, I think he can win easily. Lewis has more power and just needs to land one big shot to put Diniz’s lights out. Diniz can light Lewis up if this gets too technical, but if he makes a mistake, he’ll be looking up at the lights.
So, who wins at UFC Edmonton? I might be biased because I’m such a fan of his, but I’m rocking with Derrick Lewis. I think the power is too great and if he does use his wrestling, he can easily finish Diniz with ground and pound.
Prediction: Derrick Lewis by TKO