Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak is the main event of UFC Fight Night 218 (a.k.a. UFC on ESPN+ 76 or UFC Vegas 68). It’s taking place at UFC Apex on Saturday, February 4, 2023
The heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak was originally supposed to take place last November, but it was canceled on the day due to Lewis’ health issues. The fight is rebooked for this coming Saturday when it will serve as the headliner fight of UFC Fight Night 218.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: UFC Apex in Vegas
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023
Time: ~7:00 PM ET
How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+
What to Expect from Derrick Lewis 2.0?
It’s a brand-new Derrick Lewis who’s going to showcase his newly found talents this coming Saturday. Back in November when he was supposed to fight Spivak, he weighed in at 264 pounds. That was 11 pounds more than what the scale showed when Spivak stepped on it.
Since then, however, Lewis has shredded a lot of weight. Footage on social media shows him looking slimmer than he’s ever been. Losing fat has probably done wonders for his speed and agility, which used to be his main issues in the past.
Obviously, Lewis is taking Saturday’s fight very seriously. And he should as this could be a crucial fight for the remainder of his career. Knowing that he lost three of his previous four fights (each by KO/TKO), The Black Beast is aware that his UFC career could come to an end with another loss.
Sergey Spivak Is unlike Any of Lewis’ Recent Opponents
Cyril Gane, Tai Tuivasa, and Sergei Pavlovich are the three fighters who beat Lewis by KO/TKO within the last two years. What all three have in common is that they’re incredibly good striking-wise. Each of them lands way more significant strikes than Spivak. For instance, Pavlovich lands 8.07 per minute, while Spivak’s number is 3.79. Further, all three of them are superior to the Moldovan when it comes to striking power.
He might not be a knockout expert, but there’s one weapon Spivak may use to destroy Lewis. What we’re talking about is his takedown prowess. He makes 4.09 takedowns per 15 minutes, which is way more than any of the fighters Lewis has fought in recent times.
The big question is whether he can take Lewis down? If it were overweight Lewis, we’d say yes, but Lewis 2.0 looks agile enough to repel Spivak’s takedown attempts.
Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak Prediction
If you take a look at their stats, Spivak is clearly the favorite. However, this fight is of huge importance for Lewis, who simply has to go all-in. This, however, doesn’t mean that he should rush to get a quick finish. On the contrary, he needs to fight smart.
We think he can do that, but even if that strategy doesn’t work, Lewis still has the nuclear option in his fists. Let’s not forget that this guy is the UFC record-holder for most knockout wins.
