Empire Sports Media

Derrick Lewis

After big knockout at UFC Vegas 19, what’s next for Derrick Lewis?

by

This past weekend at UFC Vegas 19, the heavyweights took center stage. In the main event, “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) took on Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-3, 1 NC). Both men carried winning streaks into the octagon on Saturday night.

Curtis Blaydes was the heavy betting favorite on Saturday night. Blaydes was the second ranked heavyweight in the UFC and outside of Francis Ngannou, nobody has been able to touch him inside the octagon. Most expected a heavy dose of wrestling from Blaydes on Saturday night.

Derrick Lewis is the heavyweight knockout king. He stands alone atop the UFC‘s heavyweights when it comes to knockouts. The Black Beast has freak power and for that reason, many expected Blaydes to focus on the wrestling and grappling. We’ve seen Lewis struggle there before.

However, early on in the fight, Blaydes was content with standing with Lewis. Curtis Blaydes seemed apprehensive and tentative to shoot with the power of Lewis. Derrick Lewis seemed to be trying to time an uppercut on a shot from Blaydes.

In the first round, Curtis Blaydes actually got the better of the standup. The range was really bothering Lewis and Blaydes seemed to find a rhythm on the feet. In the second round, Blaydes tried to transition to his wrestling. However, Lewis defended the first takedown and they stayed standing.

On the second takedown attempt, Lewis landed the uppercut that he was trying to time. A lifeless Blaydes flopped to the floor and ate a few follow up shots. Another knockout win for the UFC‘s heavyweight knockout king.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 19?

When the UFC rankings come out tomorrow, I would fully expect Derrick Lewis to be ranked second. He’s now on a four-fight win streak and he also holds a victory over current top contender, Francis Ngannou.

While many focus on just his knockouts and his interviews, Lewis has put together quite the run in the UFC’s heavyweight division. If Jon Jones wasn’t moving to heavyweight, The Black Beast would be getting the winner of Miocic/Ngannou 2 which happens next month.

However, with Jones getting the next shot at the title, the UFC will have to do something else with Lewis. The perfect fight for Lewis is the winner of this weekend’s main event at UFC Vegas 20.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane are battling it out and whoever wins will be ranked in the top five. Lewis hasn’t fought either of those top contenders so a matchup between them would make perfect sense. Perhaps that would be the co-main event to the Jones heavyweight title fight later in the summer.

After brutal knockout loss at UFC Vegas 19, what’s next for Curtis Blaydes?

by
Curtis Blaydes, UFC

This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 19, Curtis Blaydes (14-3, 1 NC) and Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) went head-to-head in the main event. Blaydes entered the contest as a huge betting favorite, however, Derrick Lewis was always one shot away from changing those odds.

Early on in the fight, Curtis Blaydes was actually getting the better of the striking. I was very impressed with his ability to control distance and he was doing a fantastic job of mixing in jabs with calf kicks.

A few times it appeared that Lewis was actually hurt by Blaydes at UFC Vegas 19. However, Blaydes was playing with fire by not going to his bread and butter which is his wrestling. In the second round, Blaydes did try going to his wrestling.

However, Lewis defended the takedown well and the two went back to striking. Blaydes tried again for another takedown and Lewis put his lights out with a brilliant uppercut. The knockout loss at UFC Vegas 19 snapped a four-fight winning streak for Curtis Blaydes.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 19?

Curtis Blaydes has only lost to two men inside the UFC. The down side for him is that those two men make up 50% of the heavyweight contenders ranked in front of him. Another problem for Blaydes is that he’s already defeated many of the contender ranked behind him.

To give him a fresh look, I think we should look to this upcoming weekend’s main event for his next fight. UFC Vegas 20 is being headlined by Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane. Blaydes has fought neither one of these men.

I think a great next fight for Blaydes would be fighting the loser of that matchup. Whoever loses will still be a top ten contender and will be in a similar position as Curtis Blaydes. I fully expect Blaydes to bounce back after this loss. He’s still one of the best heavyweights in the UFC without question.

Derrick Lewis puts Curtis Blaydes to sleep at UFC Vegas 19

by

In the main event of UFC Vegas 19, we saw a heavyweight clash between two of the best in the world. Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC) and Curtis Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) were both looking to continue their winning streaks tonight.

The Black Beast became the UFC‘s heavyweight knockout king in his last performance. Derrick Lewis had won three fights in a row and he was looking to make a big statement with a win over Curtis Blaydes.

Lewis is known for his incredibly power and is fun personality. However, grappling and cardio are not two of the things he’s known for. He would need to show improvements in both of these areas to get the win.

Standing across from Lewis at UFC Vegas 19 was Curtis Blaydes. Blaydes is easily the third best heavyweight in the world right now. Only Francis Ngannou has gotten the better of him and he’s done it twice.

Outside of Ngannou, Blaydes has been a puzzle that nobody has been able to crack. Blaydes has sensational wrestling and he was very clear about his game plan leading into tonight’s main event.

UFC Vegas 19 Recap

Round 1

The UFC Vegas 19 main event kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Lewis took the center of the octagon anticipating the takedown attempt from Blaydes. Blaydes came in and tried to strike and Lewis cracked him with some big shots.

Blaydes immediately backed away and looked to reset. Lewis was calm and just appeared to be timing Curtis Blaydes. A lot of pressure from Curtis Blaydes found Lewis’ back against the cage.

Blaydes tried to work his way in, but he was tentative to engage. He started to work his jab while Lewis was still looking to time him for big shots. Blaydes steps in to engage and he actually tagged Lewis with a couple of big shots as Lewis swung wildly.

Then Blaydes started mixing in some good low kicks. A nice jab lands for Cutis Blaydes and the distance was starting to be a problem for Lewis. Blaydes was really connecting well from distance. The first round at UFC Vegas 19 was all striking and Curtis Blaydes takes it.

Round 2

The second round at UFC Vegas 19 kicked off with a lot of pressure from Blaydes. Both men exchanged big shots and then Blaydes shot in for a takedown. However, Lewis defended well and the two men went back to striking.

Blaydes was dominating the striking early on. Again, the range was a problem and Lewis was being a little wild. Just as I say that, Blaydes shoots in for a takedown and a clean uppercut lands for Derrick Lewis. Blaydes is out and eats a couple more clean bombs for his troubles. Another knockout for The Black Beast!

Derrick Lewis def. Curtis Blaydes by KO – Round 2

UFC Vegas 19 Preview: Derrick Lewis – Curtis Blaydes

by

Tomorrow night the UFC returns for their 19th Fight Night from the APEX. In the main event of the evening we are going to see to of the best heavyweights in the world battle it out as Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis (24-7, 1 NC) takes on Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC).

In reality, this should be a title eliminator in the heavyweight division. However, with Jon Jones being guaranteed the next UFC heavyweight title shot, the winner of this fight is going to be in a bit of a state of limbo.

Nevertheless, it’s a massive fight for both men. Both heavyweights will walk into UFC Vegas 19 with winning streaks. Derrick Lewis is going to be looking to pickup his fourth consecutive win tomorrow.

Lewis is known for his entertaining style and of course, his interviews. The Black Beast might not have the best technique or the best cardio, but his raw power is something to behold. He’s always just one shot away from putting your lights out.

Nobody can question how good Curtis Blaydes is. Blaydes, in my opinion, is easily the third best heavyweight in the UFC. However, he’s in a bit of a tough spot because his only two losses are to the same man, Francis Ngannou.

Blaydes is known for his great wrestling. He might have the best pure wrestling in the heavyweight division and he has been very vocal about how he plans to use it tomorrow. Either he will dominate with his wrestling or The Black Beast will have to catch him with a big shot.

UFC Vegas 19 Prediction

The headliner at UFC Vegas 19 is relatively easy to pick in my opinion. The fight is going to go one of two ways. Either Derrick Lewis is going to catch Blaydes and knock him out, or we are going to see a wrestling clinic with Blaydes getting his hand raised.

If Lewis wins tomorrow night, UFC fans will be talking about a knockout. If Blaydes wins, we will be discussing his efficiency and his dominant wrestling. There is a chance that Blaydes can get a TKO finish tomorrow night. However, only if Lewis completely gasses out.

If Derrick Lewis is going to win tomorrow night, he’s gonna have to catch Blaydes coming in. If he can’t catch him, I don’t see the fight going well. Lewis struggles with wrestlers and Blaydes is arguably the best in the division. I can definitely see Lewis catching him, but smart money is on Blaydes.

Prediction: Curtis Blaydes by Unanimous Decision

UFC: Curtis Blaydes only cares about what the win, not what fight fans want to see

by
Curtis Blaydes, UFC

Tomorrow night in the headliner of UFC Vegas 19, Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) will be going for his fifth straight victory. Standing in front of him is “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC). The fight is shaping up as a classic hero vs villain type of fight.

For Curtis Blaydes, the path to victory tomorrow is pretty clear. While he’s certainly shown improved standup over the years, the path to a victory at UFC Vegas 19 lies within his wrestling. Blaydes might be the best wrestler in the UFC‘s heavyweight division at the moment.

When he’s on, he’s incredibly difficult to get off of you. Blaydes has tremendous strength and shows great control once the fight does get to the ground. Once it’s there, he also does a fantastic job of landing vicious strikes. Just ask Alistair Overeem about that.

The only real way for Derrick Lewis to win tomorrow is by knocking Blaydes out on the feet. Blaydes knows this and he doesn’t plan on playing with that fire. He knows the fans want to see a heavyweight war at UFC Vegas 19, but his inner “pettyness” won’t give in to what the fans want to see.

UFC wins is all Blaydes cares about

Blaydes took to the mic at yesterday’s press event and talked about his strategy. Blaydes said, “I’m very petty. The more you don’t want me to do it (wrestle), the more I’m going to be like ‘FU’ I’m going to do it. I know people don’t wanna watch it. You’re going to watch it.”

The top UFC heavyweight brought up some great points in giving his reasons. He brought up the fact that his current contract is paying him $100,000 to show and $100,000 to win. Blaydes said he will take whatever path necessary to win to provide the best future for his daughter.

Blaydes also brought up the fact that he will not give in to fans who won’t care about him once he walks out of the cage. In reality, he makes a lot of strong points. Blaydes is one of the best heavyweights in the UFC and he’s earned that distinction by doing it his way and not giving in for the purpose of entertainment.

After his big win at UFC Vegas 18, what’s next for Alexander Volkov?

by
Alexander Volkov, UFC

This past weekend at UFC Vegas 18, Alexander Volkov (33-8) went head-to-head with Alistair Overeem (47-19, 1 NC). The winner of this matchup was going to be in a very good position inside the top five moving forward.

I was expecting this fight to be close, but in reality, it was anything but. As soon as the bell sounded at UFC Vegas 18, Alexander Volkov was in control. His strikes were extremely crisp and he never gave Overeem any time to get comfortable inside the octagon.

There were several times where Volkov pinned Overeem against the fence and peppered him with shots. In the second round, Volkov really started to do some serious damage. A huge 1-2 forced Overeem to turn away and that’s when Volkov really poured it on.

A few more devastating combinations followed and Overeem went crashing to the floor which caused the referee to stop it. Alexander Volkov didn’t just win at UFC Vegas 18, he made a huge statement.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 18?

Following the big win at UFC Vegas 18, there are a couple of options for Alexander Volkov. Both of the options I have in mind look at the two heavyweight main events that are coming up later this month.

Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes are scheduled to headline on 2/20 while Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane are headlining on 2/27. If I was the match maker for the UFC, I would give Volkov the winner of one of these matchups.

The only fight I would consider giving him the loser in would be the Lewis and Blaydes matchup. Volkov was seconds away from a UFC title shot a few years ago before Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC) knocked him out.

Curtis Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) grinded out a decision win against Volkov back in 2020. Blaydes and Lewis are the only two men to have defeated Volkov in the UFC. So if you were going to give him a loser of those matchups, that’s the fight to do it.

Personally, I love Volkov against the winner of the Gane/Rozenstruik matchup. In my ideal world, that is what I would do next. Exciting times and a bunch of fun matchups are ahead in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

UFC rebooks Derrick Lewis – Curtis Blaydes

by

The UFC has rebooked a highly anticipated heavyweight matchup that got cancelled in November. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani is reporting this evening that Derrick Lewis (24-7,1 NC) and Curtis Blaydes (14-2,1 NC) have agreed to a new date.

The UFC has finalized the heavyweight matchup for February 20th. Both men were originally supposed to fight in November, however, a day before the event, Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19 and the fight was scrapped.

There was initial doubt that the UFC would rebook the matchup. However, given the current landscape at heavyweight, pairing these two top contenders against each other makes all the sense in the world.

Derrick Lewis will be looking for his fourth straight victory on February 20th. Lewis last fought in August when he knocked out Alexey Oleynik in the second round of their fight. However, it was a shaky start for The Black Beast.

Lewis was taken down and controlled for a good part of the first round against Oleynik. If he’s going to win on February 20th, his wrestling is going to have to be on point. There’s no secret as to what his opponent is going to do.

UFC heavyweight battle

Curtis Blaydes has been extremely dominant in his run in the UFC. So far, there has only been one man who has been able to beat him. The problem for Blaydes is that he’s lost twice to him.

That man is the top UFC heavyweight contender, Francis Ngannou. However, outside of Ngannou, nobody has had an answer for the wrestling attack of Curtis Blaydes. He’s not flashy, but he knows how to get the job done.

Blaydes has shown improvements in the striking as he showed in his knockout of Junior Dos Santos. However, make no mistake about it, Blaydes is going to be using his wrestling a lot on February 20th.

On paper, this is a really tough matchup for Derrick Lewis. Lewis struggles against strong grapplers and Blaydes might be the best in the division. However, the exciting thing is that with the UFC’s Black Beast, he’s always just one shot away.

State of the UFC’s heavyweight division entering 2021

by
MMA, Stipe Miocic

2021 will usher in a new day in the heavyweight division. As we enter January 2021, it has been three years since UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic (20-3), fought someone not named Daniel Cormier (22-3, 1 NC).

At UFC 220 back in January of 2018, Miocic defended his title against Francis Ngannou (15-3). Ngannou was being billed as the next big thing having destroyed every contender the UFC had put in front of him.

However, Miocic showed off his greatness that night shutting out the French contender. However, Miocic would lose his title in the summer of 2018 when he was knocked out in the first round by Daniel Cormier.

The UFC then angled for Cormier to face Brock Lesnar in a superfight. The proposed matchup with Lesnar was supposed to be Cormier’s last UFC fight. The fight never materialized and Cormier went on to defend his title against Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC).

Cormier defeated Lewis and waited for the Lesnar fight. Again, it never came together so Cormier decided to give Stipe Miocic a rematch at UFC 241. After dominating the fight early, Cormier got knocked out by Miocic in the fourth round.

After that fight, Miocic needed to take some time off. A year later, Miocic and Cormier finished their trilogy at UFC 252 in Cormier’s last fight. Miocic won the fight by unanimous decision cementing himself as the heavyweight GOAT.

UFC’s heavyweight division in 2021

With the Miocic – Cormier trilogy behind us, it’s time for the UFC’s heavyweight division to move on in 2021. However, Miocic will face a familiar foe in his first title defense of the year. He will once again take on Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou’s losses to Miocic then Derrick Lewis might have been the best thing for him. He’s rededicated himself to the sport and he’s looked untouchable since. After losing a decision to Lewis, Ngannou is 4-0 with four first round knockouts.

Not only that, but none of those opponents have gone more than 71 seconds. The UFC’s predator looks better than ever and he’s expected to face Miocic in March for the heavyweight title.

Another exciting aspect of the heavyweight division in 2021 is the arrival of Jon Jones (26-1,1 NC). Jones is widely considered to be the greatest fighter of all-time and he’s finally decided to move up to heavyweight.

After reigning over light heavyweight for nearly a decade, Jones is preparing for a shot at the heavyweight title. He’s expected to face the winner of Miocic – Ngannou over the summer or early next fall.

Other Contenders

Behind Jones there are a number of compelling contenders. Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) are expected to faceoff in 2021. They were supposed to fight in November, however, Blaydes tested positive for COVID and the fight was scrapped.

Both contenders have multiple fight winning streaks. A win for either man would put them in great position. The guy to really watch out for is Ciryl Gane (7-0). Gane just knocked out JDS at UFC 256 and is poised to be a top contender.

Of course, Alistair Overeem (47-18, 1 NC) and Alexander Volkov (32-8) are two others to watch out for. They headline a Fight Night in February. Of course there’s still Jairzinho Rozenstruik (11-1) out there who’s ranked third at heavyweight at the moment.

Miocic is finally done with Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones is entering the heavyweight picture. Francis Ngannou looks better than ever and there’s a ton of hungry and dangerous contenders behind him. Should be a fun year at heavyweight in 2021.

UFC: Should Jon Jones take a heavyweight tune-up fight?

by
UFC, Jon Jones

Arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time is going through a career transformation. Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is currently preparing his move to the UFC‘s heavyweight division.

The former light heavyweight champion vacated his title this year due to his desire to move up in weight. Jones has had some run-ins with the UFC this year where he asked for a release, but those talks have since faded.

Jonny Bones wanted to fight top heavyweight contender, Francis Ngannou after the pandemic had started. However, he wanted a bump in his pay which the UFC was not willing to do which caused a spat between the two sides.

Again, there seems to be no more bad blood between the two. Now, Jones is focused on getting stronger as he prepares to chase down heavyweight gold. Dana White said Jones would get a UFC heavyweight title shot whenever he makes his debut at heavyweight.

However, he could be waiting a while. Francis Ngannou is slated to take on the champion, Stipe Miocic, early next year. Currently that heavyweight title fight is being targeted for March, however, it’s not been officially announced.

That means that at the earliest, Jones likely wouldn’t get a shot at the heavyweight crown until the summer. At that point, Jones would have been out of the cage for at least 16 months. So, should Jon Jones take a tune-up fight at heavyweight?

What should the UFC and Jones do?

I’m going to say the same thing that Dana White said in that Jones should be fighting for the UFC‘s heavyweight title in his divisional debut. However, 16+ months is a long layoff for Jones who has already experienced lengthy layoffs in his career.

Let’s say Jones wants to get in a fight before the title fight. Who should the UFC pair him against? Many were saying that Jones could fight the winner of UFC Vegas 15’s main event which featured Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

That main event was scrapped after Blaydes tested positive for COVID. That fight is currently being re-booked for either December or January. Personally, I think it would make a lot of sense if Jones were to fight the winner.

Whoever wins that fight would be on a multiple fight winning streak. The winner of that fight would have likely been the number one contender after Ngannou if Jones wasn’t in the picture.

Reality of the situation is that the UFC will likely hold Jones until he can get a title shot. I think the winner of the Blaydes/Lewis fight will likely fight someone like Jairzinho Rozenstruik next as opposed to fighting Jon Jones.

Breaking: UFC Vegas 15 Main Event is off

by
Curtis Blaydes, UFC

Shortly after we published our UFC Vegas 15 main event preview, news broke that the fight is off. Per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Curtis Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) has tested positive for COVID-19 and the main event tomorrow has been cancelled.

Blaydes was scheduled to fight The Black Beast, Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC). The fight was a huge fight for the UFC‘s heavyweight division as both men were entering the cage on multiple fight winning streaks.

In addition to that, both men were currently inside the UFC‘s top four. The winner was expected to be on the shortlist of contenders for a future title shot. However, we now know that we will have to wait on this one.

What is the UFC’s plan?

According to Helwani’s tweet, the UFC is currently working on booking this fight for sometime in December. To me, it makes all the sense in the world to book this fight on the main card of the UFC 256 PPV.

That card has taken a lot of hits including losing three title fights. The card’s main event features a flyweight title fight. In addition, Tony Ferguson returns as he takes on Charles Oliveira.

However, the card could use just a little more juice. Considering the UFC‘s December 19th card is already stacked, the December 12th card makes all the sense in the world. This is a crushing blow to the UFC Vegas 15 card.

The promotion will now move forward with Anthony Smith – Devin Clark as the main event of the evening. While that is expected to be a decent fight, in my opinion, it wasn’t even worth being a co-main event.

The UFC was going to struggle tomorrow taking on the Tyson – Jones Jr boxing main event, and now they just lost their heavyweight clash. Tough break for the promotion, but we will just have to see how this plays out.