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Masvidal Still Angling For Immediate Rematch Against Usman

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 20:56:11 GMT

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Even with his new level of superstardom, we doubt Jorge has the clout to pull this off. But can’t blame a gangster for trying.

Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal was the perfect main event for the debut of Fight Island.

Like Fight Island, it was something with a ridiculous amount of hype that could never live up to the expectations people had for it going in. The idea of it was way more fun than the reality. And for those of you who didn’t buy the wolf tickets, it went exactly like you predicted: Masvidal had approximately five minutes worth of cardio, resulting in twenty minutes of Usman pushing him up against the cage and potshotting him with point punches.

But if only Masvidal had a proper camp! If only Masvidal hadn’t had to cut so much weight so quickly! Things might be different! Hell, things would undoubtedly be different. Them’s the new wolf tickets being sold by Jorge himself, who continues to campaign for an immediate rematch against the welterweight champ.

6 days. 20 pounds. Flew to Vegas. Vegas to Abu Dhabi. Fought the champ. Created the damage. He’s out for a minute. I’ve been ready since I got back. Time to move the division forward. Your move #supernecessary
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) August 9, 2020

“6 days. 20 pounds. Flew to Vegas,” Masvidal wrote on Twitter. “Vegas to Abu Dhabi. Fought the champ. Created the damage. He’s out for a minute. I’ve been ready since I got back. Time to move the division forward. Your move #supernecessary”

To bolster his claims he went ahead and retweeted a bunch of people who agreed with him, just more evidence he’s turning more and more into Conor McGregor on social media by the day.

rematch goes differently. dude edged out a win. the next foot stomps that happen will be ones where you stomp on his head. no doubt KO.
— Sloane (@Sloaners17) August 9, 2020

Loved to have seen that fight on a full camp
— Jeff 'N Kaylaa (@bassaddict81) August 9, 2020

It was boring because of Usman, and he still managed to break his nose, even though he was being hugged the whole time.
— Luis B. (@lbar1621) August 9, 2020

@GamebredFighter will defiantly baptise Usman with a full camp need to see this crotch sniffer be dethroned #supernecessary
— ZigFishyrrSZN -ᘺ- (@ZigBTW) August 9, 2020

Would love to see @GamebredFighter fight again this year on a full camp.

Whether that's against Usman or not, seeing him fight is always... well, #SuperNecessary pic.twitter.com/vNrtb068Zy
— Hunter (@hunter_binks) August 9, 2020

Hey, let us agree with that last tweet. We’d love to see Masvidal back in the cage by the end of the year.

The obvious opponent in our mind is Leon Edwards: stylistically, it nearly guarantees the kind of firefight everyone’s been waiting for since the Nate Diaz fight. They’ve got beef. And for Masvidal, a win over Edwards would put him back into legitimate title shot position. All this no camp big cut last second talk is all right, but without another body on his resume it simply isn’t going to happen.

As Jorge and his many fans love to say ... it’s super necessary.

Zabit Returning To Russia, No Fight On August 29th

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 19:00:00 GMT

Photo by Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

Following the loss of his main event opponent Yair Rodriguez, Zabit has announced he’s shutting down his training camp and returning to Russia.

When news broke that the highly anticipated bout between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez on August 29th was off due to an ankle injury to Yair, we consoled ourselves on the fact that at lest we’d still get to see Zabit compete at the end of the month.

Unfortunately, it no longer looks like that’s the case.

Zabit just broke the news on his Instagram, releasing a statement in Russian explaining the situation.

“As-salamu ‘alaykum greetings to all!” he wrote. “I want to inform you that my fight on August 29 will not be. Rodriguez jumped out of the top 5 to replace anyone. Fighting those who are even lower in the rankings is a step back. I asked for either a belt fight or a fight with some interesting opponent with a name. There were no offers, so we turn off our camp and return to Russia.”

View this post on Instagram
Ас-саляму ‘аляйкум приветствую всех! Хочу сообщить, что моего боя 29 августа не будет. Родригез соскочил, из топ-5 на замену никого не предложили. Драться с теми, кто ещё ниже в рейтинге, это шаг назад. Я просил или бой за пояс или бой с каким-нибудь интересным для меня соперником с именем. Предложений не последовало, так что мы сворачиваем наш лагерь и возвращаемся в Россию. Уже второй раз подряд @ufc обламывает подготовку на завершающем этапе. Спасибо всем, кто поддерживал и ждал этого боя. Мы с командой делали все от нас зависящее @dagestan__fighter @magomedov_tiger @mansur_uchakaev_dfteam @coachmarkhenry @omar_abakarov_df @rizvan_magomedov @ricardoalmeidabjj @nickcatonemma @krepost_shamilya @aliabdelaziz000 @khasan_magomedsharipov @timurvaliev_df
A post shared by Zabit (@zabit_magomedsharipov) on Aug 8, 2020 at 10:42am PDT

“For the second time in a row @UFC breaks off preparation at the final stage,” he finished. “Thanks to everyone who supported and waited for this fight. The team and I did our best.”

So it sounds like the UFC wasn’t able to pull together either an opponent or a financial incentive sexy enough to keep Magomedsharipov in the main event. And yeah ... it did seem like the UFC was low on ideas, considering the most interesting option we saw was a rematch with previous opponent Calvin Kattar.

Once again, we must go back to trying to look on the bright side of things: now maybe we’ll just have to wait another month or two for the original Yair vs. Zabit main event to come back together. During the post-fight collapse smack talk Yair declared“I’ll see you in October-November 5 rounds.”

We can only hope things work out that way.

White Still Working On UFC Co-Promotion With Floyd Mayweather

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 17:00:00 GMT

Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

According to UFC president Dana White, Floyd Mayweather “would rematch Conor McGregor” if only the Irish superstar wasn’t retired.

Earlier this year, before the whole world went to crap with this Coronavirus thing, UFC president Dana White and Floyd Mayweather worked out a deal to co-promote fights together.

“Some things have to play out and then I’m going to start talking to (Al) Haymon maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall,” White told ESPN back at the start of January.“The money is in Floyd competing.”

Unfortunately, you know what happened next. Floyd’s uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather died in March, and almost simultaneously the world shut down due to COVID-19. With all that happening, word was Floyd’s return to action from retirement was being cancelled. But according to Dana White, there’s still ongoing talks about possible fights.

“Floyd and I still have dialog and go back and forth,” he told TMZ Sports.“We’re still interested on both sides.”

“I know he would rematch Conor McGregor,” White added. “But I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Conor McGregor is retired. When I’m doing things right now and running business, I don’t even think about Conor. Conor is retired. As of right here now today, Conor is retired until Conor tells me differently, I’m not trying to make any fights for Conor.”

The TMZ reporter gave a sarcastic “Riiiiiight,” before adding “And I’m the heavyweight champion of the world.”

“I’m just sayin’,” White replied with a smile. “He is retired right now. He is not fighting. Per my contract with the fighters, I owe them three fights a year. If I do not deliver three fights a year I have to pay them their money. Conor McGregor is retired.”

That’s Dana White’s boilerplate answer to the McGregor question: so long as McGregor is technically retired, no fights are being shopped his way. Which is a crazy way to deal with your biggest star, but for some reason the UFC seems perfectly happy letting Conor sit on the sidelines as long as he wants ... which sounds like exactly the kind of strange power play McGregor was complaining about when he decided to ‘retire’ in the first place.

That’s led to rumors of Conor McGregor going his own way and setting up a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao. How real any of that is remains unclear. It would certainly be a massive money making fight, and the last time McGregor decided he was going to put together his own mega-fight he forced the Mayweather bout into existence.

Is White dangling a Mayweather rematch to bring McGregor back into the fold? Is he laying the legal groundwork to argue big fights would be there for McGregor if McGregor hadn’t retired himself? For now we’ll have to continue to keep our ear to the ground and see whether McGregor and the UFC seem to be working things out or pulling further apart.

Weidman Looking To Move Past ‘Sloppy’ Win With A Quick Turnaround

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 15:35:53 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It didn’t come easy, but former champ Chris Weidman fought his way back into the win column. Now he’s looking to regain his stature in a deep 185 pound division.

Chris Weidman got himself back in the win column on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 6, but it wasn’t exactly the prettiest win you’ve ever seen.

His opponent Omari Akhmedov got in more than a few mean looking punches on Weidman, and when Chris started to slow down and tire halfway through the second it looked like Akhmedov was on the verge of taking over. Fortunately for the former middleweight champion, Akhmedov turned out to be just as tired in the third, allowing Weidman to smother him in the third round with his superior wrestling skills.

“I guess some times it’s not the way you expect it to be, but you gotta keep grinding through,” he said in a post-fight interview with Megan Olivi.“I guess that’s what I did, but I’m not too happy with that performance. I’m happy to get a W but it’s not what I expected and I’m just a little bummed out. But at the same time it could be much worse.”

“I really felt great in sparring doing a lot of that motion on the feet,” Weidman explained at the post-fight press conference. “But the goal on this one, I knew my bread and butter is the wrestling and the takedowns. So the goal was to just stay relaxed and not play too much on the feet. A lot of my fights in the past, I’m winning on the feet and then I got caught just trying to go for it, being exciting. So the goal was try to get to my bread and butter this time as much as possible.”

“It was just such a weird fight,” he continued. “It was so sloppy. Every time I got to his legs, I was like a little bit off, a little bit too low on the leg or a little bit too high. The weight was just off. It turned into a sloppy fight. But it came down to that third round, I was able to dig deep and come up with the W. Even in the second round when he was getting to the single leg, I was going for this new choke I was doing and every time he just f**king took me down.”

“So I was like ‘Damnit, what am I doing, I gotta stop doing it! I gotta get back to my overhook and wrist. But I went for it, it was a scrappy fight. I’m just happy to get back inside the octagon and find a way to win. He was strong as hell. He’s a scrappy guy. He hasn’t lost in six fights so it was good to get out there and start over again in the middleweight division.”

Not much was said about Weidman’s conditioning, but he referenced the sloppiness of the fight (a byproduct of the exhaustion) multiple times.

“Even in some of my finest moments in that fight, it was sloppy, and I really kind of pride myself on being a technician and making things look pretty and making it look easy,” he said. “I wasn’t able to do that tonight. But I do think it was a step in the right direction to get a W against a tough guy. I’m excited to get in there with some of these top tier guys at middleweight and really start making a statement. I feel like I’m renewed and I got a fresh start here.”

It’s not surprising that Chris is looking to get right back in the cage and make up for all that lost time due to injuries.

“I’m ready to move pretty damn quick here,” Weidman said. “I’m healthy, I’ve been training pretty damn hard since May, and I feel great. So I wanna get going pretty damn quick here. So we’ll talk to the UFC. I’m moving this month, so I gotta focus on that the next couple weeks. And then I’ll be ready to go. I’m going to stay in shape and be ready to go.”

It’s going to be an uphill battle for Weidman to prove he can still hang with the best of the stacked UFC 185 pound division, but that’s when he shines.

“The more pressure the better,” he said. “At the end of the day, I truly love to do this, I love to have all that pressure on myself. I love that feeling of being a little scared and that feeling of wanting to run away from a situation and pushing through those moments. It’s good.”

Everything That Happened At UFC Vegas 6 Last Night!

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

UFC continued its stay in Las Vegas, Nevada and the UFC APEX last night (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) for UFC Vegas 6. After last week’s last-second event, UFC Vegas 6 was something of a return to normal — or at least, the pandemic equivalent. There were a dozen fights, a mix of familiar faces and newcomers, but overall a pretty solid night of action.

Let’s take a closer look at the slickest techniques and best performances:

Black Beast Smash

I love Derrick Lewis’ game plans for their simplicity. Generally, his strategies boil down to a an elegant concept like “Get on top” or “Punch him in the face.” He might even consider both if he’s feeling particularly troubled by an opponent’s skill set.

Against Aleksei Oleinik, Lewis took it a step further, repeatedly trying to replicate Walt Harris’ success against Oleinik. Harris notably stopped Oleinik with a flying knee to left straight in less than a minute, and each time he was given the space to work, Lewis jumped into a knee or kick then followed with his cross.

Guess what? It worked! It didn’t matter a bit that “The Black Beast” is not a Southpaw like Harris. When Lewis jumped into a knee that off-balanced Oleinik then blasted him with the cross — precisely like Harris did — the end result was the same. Shockingly, the 43-year-old veteran of 70-some professional fights did not completely change his stance and positioning ahead of this bout.

It’s a lesson in simplicity for the rest of the fighting world: fighters tend to stick to their usual habits, so if a technique worked for somebody else, it will probably work again!

Dariush The Contender

Back in 2016, Dariush seemed an imminent title contender. Then, an 0-2-1 run really sent him spiraling down the ranks. In particular, a short-notice knockout loss to Alexander Hernandez really eliminated him from the conversation.

Since that spiral, Dariush has returned better than ever. He’s always been a violent Southpaw with elite jiu-jitsu, but things are just clicking for Dariush. He’s grown more aggressive, and he packs serious power in his left hand. Now, that’s all adding up to knockout wins, as Dariush has finished four of his opponents on his current five-fight winning streak.

He straight up battered Scott Holtzman last night. Everything he threw landed, and he capped it off with a walk-off spinning backfist.

Dariush has earned another chance to fight up the ladder. He’s earned a top 10 opponent. Lightweight may be constantly crowded, but Dariush’s recent performances demand attention and opportunity.

One-Hitter Quitter

Kevin Holland is one tricky Middleweight.

In a division where most men do one thing at a pretty slow pace, Holland does LOTS of stuff at an active rate! He’s plenty willing to wrestle, trade submissions, counter punch, lead with wild combinations, or fight in the clinch. Historically, that universal comfort has gotten him in some trouble, as Holland willingly played into his opponent’s strengths.

Fortunately, that no longer seems to be the case! Holland fought loose and had fun inside the Octagon, but he did so intelligently, making use of his significant height and reach advantage against a shorter boxer in Joaquin Buckley. Holland sniped with his right hand, jammed him up with lots of kicks, and slammed home some nasty elbows whenever the pair met in the clinch.

Buckley seems a talented fighter moving forward, but Holland was too much for a short-notice debut. In the third round of an already convincing performance, “Trailblazer” shut off the lights with a crisp 1-2, once again announcing himself as a future contender.

Additional Thoughts

Darren Stewart defeats Maki Pitolo via first-round guillotine choke: Stewart fights with a mean streak regularly, and he came out extra aggressive last night. The second Pitolo even hinted at an exchange or clinch, “The Dentist” would unleash a multi-punch combination. He was attacking on a hairpin trigger, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a shock that Pitolo tried to change it up with a double leg. When Stewart wrapped up the neck and landed the first submission win of his entire pro career, well, that was pretty surprising!
Andrew Sanchez defeats Wellington Turman via first-round knockout: Sanchez is a fighter that has long been plenty skilled. A collegiate wrestler with a Karate background, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has never looked out of his element inside the Octagon ... until he fatigues, and then things tend to fall apart. Turman presented such a risk, as the young Brazilian is tough and aggressive, capable of pushing hard for three rounds. Instead, Sanchez’s relaxed and sharp counter punches found their mark with great consistency. Turman walked through several straight rights, but when one did stun him, Sanchez stepped forward with another sharp 1-2 that ended the bout in style.
Gavin Tucker defeats Justin Jaynes via third-round rear naked choke: This was a really great fight! Tucker started strong, showing his Muay Thai background with a sharp array of kicks. Jaynes turned it up in the second half of the first round, flattening his foe with an uppercut and nearly strangling Tucker with the follow-up guillotine. He seemed to fatigue himself chasing the finish, however, as Tucker rallied in the second, picking his foe apart with a gorgeous variety of striking before landing a choke of his own in the final round. Tucker is a guy who has consistently shown great skill in the Octagon, but this time, his cardio held up perfectly, allowing him to really display the depth of his talent.

For complete UFC Vegas 6: “Lewis Vs. Oleinik” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

Derrick Lewis Credits Oleinik For ‘Squeezing The Mess Outta Me’

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 13:00:00 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Lewis’ second round knockout win over submission specialist Aleksei Oleinik wasn’t without danger, as he admits a first round choke almost had him tapping.

On Saturday night at UFC Vegas 6 (aka UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik), Derrick Lewis strung together his third win in a row and also cinched the record for most knockouts from a UFC heavyweight (11) with a second round win over Aleksei Oleinik. And what a knockout it was (watch it here)!

“The Black Beast” threw a flying knee out of the gate to start the round, slipped a big overhand from Oleinik, and then planted his own monster of a shot right on the jaw of “The Boa Constrictor.” From there it was just a matter of time before Lewis’ ground and pound forced a stop to the fight.

The fight wasn’t without danger for Lewis, though. Oleinik is known as a submission specialist and locked up a couple of mean looking bulldog chokes along the way that Lewis admitted almost had him tapping in a post-show interview with Megan Olivi.

“The last one I did [feel in danger], but I was like nah, I can’t,” Lewis said. “I started to tap because I was starting to gargle and scream like a little girl. So I was like ‘I can’t tap, I can’t go out like that.’ So I just had to wait out the time.”

“I think he’s ranked up there, I give him respect, he’s ranked up there because that little bulldog choke he did on me, it worked pretty good. He squeezing the mess out of me. So it worked pretty good for him.”

“I was snorting, making funny noises while he was choking the hell out of my neck,” Lewis added during the post-fight press conference.“And I was like ‘Damn, I’m making too much noise, I wonder if they can hear it on TV.’ So I can’t tap like that. And I know my kids are watching. They gonna tease me forever.”

We think getting caught talking about ‘taking a s**t’ on live TV might earn him a few more teases.

Lewis stated several times during the media gauntlet back to the locker room bathrooms that he wouldn’t be back until he dropped 15-20 pounds (the bathroom jokes just make themselves), an effort he feels should see him return sometime around December. As for who he’d like to face?

“Curtis Blaydes makes sense,” he said. “Ngannou makes sense. Overeem makes sense. And that’s just about it. We’ll just see what happens next week [at UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier] and see who else makes sense after that match.”

I call dibs fighting @Thebeast_ufc @ufc
— Curtis Blaydes (@RazorBlaydes265) August 9, 2020

“That’d be perfect to fight Curtis next. All he’s gonna do is try to grab me and hold me and try to win by decision. He’s not going to try and finish me. If he do try to finish me that’s fine. But I believe I could take Curtis down and punish him on the ground. Yeah, put that on the headline, make that the headline. That’s headlines right there: I’m gonna take Curtis Blaydes down and finish him.”

Blaydes is on his own four fight win streak and currently ranked third in the division, one slot above Lewis. And it’s worth mentioning he seems to have tapped his ability to finish as well. While he’s no record-holding KO artist like Lewis (one more knockout and “The Black Beast” ties Vitor Belfort for most UFC career knockouts overall), two of Curtis’ last four wins come via knockout.

When we see Lewis again, he’ll be ready for the challenge. Leading up to the Oleinik fight he declared himself “Black Beast 2.0.” Another 20 pounds down and could we see 3.0?

“I’ll be a lot quicker, a lot more agile, a lot more aggressive and everything,” Lewis promised.

UFC Vegas 6, The Morning After: Weidman Wins, But What’s Next?

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Here’s what you may have missed!

Chris Weidman desperately needed a victory last night.

Having lost five of his last six bouts via knockout, Weidman was far removed from the confident young New Yorker who once stormed the Octagon to knock out Anderson Silva. His skills have not faded entirely, however. Weidman still has a spectacular high-crotch pick up. He can still box and make use of that long reach. When Weidman latches onto the neck, he’s still a threat.

All those skills were on display last night against Omari Akhmedov. It was not an easy victory, but Weidman showed off some slickness in controlling the Sambo master for long periods of time. Unfortunately, he also had some real bad moments in the second, where Weidman looked desperate and tired, and one really clean connection could have ended his night (again).

Fortunately for Weidman, his opponent was nearly as fatigued, so Weidman was given a second-chance.

Most of Weidman’s losses can be attributed to at least one of two factors: confidence and conditioning. If we go all the way back to his title loss to Luke Rockhold, an overabundance of confidence (aided by some fatigue) informed Weidman that a spinning kick would be a good idea.

It was not.

Still, on the whole, Weidman fought well! He fought well against Yoel Romero too, but this time, fatigue saw him grow a bit more predictable — a bad thing to be opposite the Cuban knockout artist.

His losses to Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo Souza followed a similar pattern, in which Weidman started strong before fading badly as his opponent’s offense started landing. Part of this can be attributed to cardio, but it was visibly clear that Weidman no longer carried the confidence on an undefeated champion. When his opponents started surging and landing, Weidman could not meaningfully force the momentum to shift back.

Championship Weidman ate big shots from guys like Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida only to wave them in and pay them back. Weidman’s more recent meetings with adversity largely see him shell up or get more desperate for the takedown, which generally sees the situation grow more dire.

That’s a really bad trend, because much lesser fighters than Weidman will still occasionally find some success against him — that’s the reality of small gloves. Such was the case with Akhmedov, who is noticeably worse than Weidman in pretty much every area, yet dominated the second round.

For a moment, focus on the positives regarding Weidman’s performance. After a disastrous five-minutes that were uncomfortably reminiscent of the exchanges that led to his knockout losses, Weidman rallied. He didn’t lose faith. He returned to his excellent high-crotch and tripped the Dagestani to the mat.

Once on top, Weidman made good decisions. He looked for the submission, but he didn’t try anything too risky. He stayed heavy on his fatigued foe in dominant enough position that the referee didn’t even consider a stand up. Eventually, he dropped a few elbows and won on a high note.

Weidman’s resurgence in the third round was a considerably positive sign regarding his confidence issues. He fought back from a really bad spot and did so smartly. He did not let Akhmedov continue building momentum and doing damage.

That’s a fantastic shift.

Unfortunately, cardio remains a plague for Weidman. He was only saved in this bout by the simple fact that Akhmedov is notoriously rubbish in the third round too. Both men were taking deep mouth breathes by the middle of the first round, and that’s not going to fly against the top Middleweights Weidman wants to fight.

There is a silver lining: conditioning is a science. At 36 years of age, it may be more difficult now than in 2014, but Weidman can rebuild his gas tank. He might have to find a new nutritionist or strength coach or swim extra miles or sprint more often — it’s impossible to say without insight into his training camp ... but it can be done.

If Weidman does solve his conditioning woes while building confidence off this win, hope is still alive for Weidman to claw his way back into the top 10. However, if the fatigue problem persists or Weidman’s confidence takes another dip, the best Middleweights in the world are going to hurt him.

For complete UFC Vegas 6: “Lewis Vs. Oleinik” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

Biggest Winners, Loser For UFC Vegas 6

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged UFC Vegas 6 last night (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Derrick Lewis scored his record-setting eleventh knockout win in the Heavyweight division by knocking out Aleksei Oleinik in devastating fashion (see it again here). In the co-headlining act, former Middleweight champion, Chris Weidman, defeated Omari Akhmedov via unanimous decision, ending his two-fight losing streak in the process (recap).

Biggest Winner: Derrick Lewis

Not only did “Black Beast” set a record for scoring 11 knockouts inside the Octagon in the 265-pound weight class, he inched closer to a shot at the Heavyweight title. With his third straight win, Lewis likely set himself up for a huge title eliminator fight against Curtis Blaydes, a man who has claimed many times before that Lewis has been avoiding fight between them. Since Francis Ngannou will fight for the title next, it makes perfect sense for UFC to make this fight next. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will fight one more time next weekend (Sat., Aug,. 15, 2020) at UFC 252, so that means Francis will likely fight for the strap by the end of the year. There is no way Lewis will want to wait that long just to see if he’s next, so he can punch his ticket to another title fight if he defeats Blaydes.

Runner Up: Chris Weidman

“All American” ended his two fight skid and avoided losing six of his last seven by defeating a streaking Akhmedov via unanimous decision. It wasn’t easy by any means, but Weidman earned himself some breathing room because a third straight defeat would have left him in no-man’s land. For now, Chris can breathe easy knowing that he will live to fight another day inside the Octagon. He still has a ton of work to do and road to cover if he ever wants to get closing to sniffing a title shot, but a win was huge here. It may not have been the most exciting performance from the ex-champion, but at this point getting the “W” is the only thing that mattered for “All American.”

Biggest Loser: Omari Akhmedov

Omari was looking to make a big leap and perhaps get over the hump into the Top 10 by taking out former 185-pound champion, Chris Weidman. In doing so, “Wolverine” would've earned himself his sixth straight win in a crowded division. Unfortunately, Akhmedov could not come up clutch in his biggest opportunity to date, losing to “All American” after 15 minutes of action and getting sent back to the drawing board. Now he will have to start from scratch and hope the loss doesn’t knock him down more than one peg in the 185 pound rankings. It’s fights like these that are must-wins for contenders looking for their big breakthrough, and unfortunately “Wolverine” simply couldn’t capitalize on it.

For complete UFC Vegas 6 results and coverage click here.

Hot Mic Catches Derrick Lewis Needing To ‘Take A S—t’

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 04:10:24 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Derrick Lewis just dropped the spiritual successor to his ‘My balls was hot’ speech at UFC Vegas 6.

When it comes to Derrick Lewis, there’s no such thing as too much information.

Following his second round knockout of Aleksei Oleinik in the main event of UFC Vegas 6 (watch it here), the “Black Beast” came into his post-fight interview with one thing on his mind: getting to the bathroom. Right in the middle of commentator Paul Felder asking him how it feels to have the most knockouts in UFC heavyweight history, an oblivious Lewis looks off to the right and tells his coaches “I gotta take a s**t.”

The written word does not encapsulate the glory of the moment. Watch it here:

We've been blessed with another timeless @Thebeast_ufc interview moment! #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/4iN0BfLOeh
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) August 9, 2020

“We’ll get to that in a second!” Felder exclaims with a laugh as Lewis adjusts his headset and realizes his mic is live.

“Oh, hello?” he says with a sheepish smile. “Wassup, man!”

ESPN MMA has a longer, censored version of the interview, although sadly enough both miss the part where Derrick shouts out Texas Shaved Ice, whatever that’s all about.

Did you really think @Thebeast_ufc wouldn't have a memorable post-fight interview? #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/276TKIqlEa
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 9, 2020

As usual, Lewis is just as entertaining after his fights as he is in the cage, and he certainly kept things interesting in the cage following that near submission to Oleinik. It seems the big man can’t win without coming razor close to losing first. And then the second his opponents get cocky? They end up just another knockout win on the record of the “Black Beast.”

Or in Oleinik’s case ... a record breaking knockout win. This 11th KO win for Lewis surpasses the previous record for most KOs held at heavyweight held by Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez at 10. We think he also just broke his own record for most inappropriate statement made following a win, previously held by “My balls was hot.”

Well done, Derrick. Never change!

UFC Vegas 6 Bonuses! Holland Banks $50K For One-Punch KO

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 03:57:56 GMT

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

The action delivered in “Sin City” last night (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, as Derrick Lewis set the UFC heavyweight knockout record with his second-round TKO win over Aleksei Oleinik (highlights HERE).

In addition to the heavyweight main event, lightweight contender Beneil Dariush scored one of the best knockouts of 2020, middleweight finisher Darren Stewart notched his first career submission finish, and featherweight prospect Gavin Tucker returned from a one-year layoff to stop Justin Jaynes with a third-round submission.

Fight fans also got to see individually awesome knockouts by middleweight contenders Kevin Holland (highlights HERE) and Andrew Sanchez (highlights HERE).

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC Vegas 6 bonus winners below:

Performance of the Night: Andrew Sanchez
Performance of the Night: Darren Stewart
Performance of the Night: Gavin Tucker
Performance of the Night: Kevin Holland

For complete UFC Vegas 6 results and coverage click here.

Highlights! ‘Black Beast’ Enters UFC Record Books, Stops Oleinik With TKO

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 03:36:22 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Derrick Lewis set a UFC heavyweight record with his 11th knockout finish last night (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when “Black Beast” stopped submission specialist Aleksei Oleinik via second-round TKO (punches).

Lewis launched a big kick to start the first and eventually secured a takedown along the cage. Oleinik flipped the script, got back to his feet, and scored his own takedown into a scarf hold submission attempt. Lewis was able to scramble to his feet but Oleinik secured another takedown and tried the same submission again. “Black Beast” would power his way through the choke but started to tire.

After a little bit of rest between rounds Lewis burst out of the gate in the second and landed a monstrous right hand that sent Oleinik to the canvas. “Black Beast” followed his knockdown up with heavy ground-and-pound before referee Herb Dean stepped in for the stoppage.

Here’s a replay of my king Derrick Lewis dropping Oleinik since the UFC deleted the tweet #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/rtzP0DjxFI
— Connoisseur of Combat (@ConOfCombat) August 9, 2020

No @Thebeast_ufc win is complete until we see the celebration #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/z6fggABBCb
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 9, 2020

Check out the highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

Lewis may have been one round short of his prediction for a third-round finish, but this TKO win over Oleinik remains just as sweet. Unfortunately, the win may not move Lewis much in the heavyweight division as top contenders Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes crowd the line to a title shot. At least this one puts “Black Beast” in the UFC record books.

For complete UFC Vegas 6 results and coverage click here.

LIVE! Watch UFC Vegas 6 Post-Fight Presser Here!

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 03:15:00 GMT

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

As soon as UFC Vegas 6 wraps up later tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, fight fans can check out the live post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a night that features a main event clash between heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis and submission specialist Aleksei Oleinik, a co-headliner featuring former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Russian veteran Omari Akhmedov, and a catchweight showdown between lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush and Scott Holtzman, there will be much to talk about when the action winds down.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go live at 12:15 a.m. ET (Sunday), and feature the biggest winners and losers from the card.

For complete UFC Vegas 6 results and coverage click here.

‘Black Beast’ Batters Oleinik!

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 03:09:29 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Derrick Lewis and Aleksei Oleinik face off tonight (Sat. Aug. 8, 2020) in a main event Heavyweight clash from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Heavyweight doesn’t do small portions, so when the main event promises a style clash, it’s going to be extreme! Lewis pits his swang-n-bang mantra against Oleinik’s head-squeezing style, and someone will almost certainly get finished.

Both men were given a chance to ply their skills, as Oleinik did land some good positions on the mat. However, Lewis was simply too volatile on the feet, as he exploded in the second round to wipe his opponent out.

Round One
Lewis opens with a huge high kick and big right hand swing. Lewis rushes forward into the clinch, and Oleinik starts searching for his Ezekiel choke. Lewis throws Oleinik to the mat and takes top position. Oleinik starts diving beneath the legs and out the backdoor, but Lewis maintains top position. Oleinik clings to the head to prevent damage, but there’s not yet a submission there. Oleinik sits up into a single leg and takes his foe down! Oleinik starts leaning back into his scarf-hold headlock! Lewis escapes and regains top position. Oleinik lands another half-guard sweep and attacks the head lock again. It looks tight, but Lewis is surviving. Oleinik starts attacking the Americana from side control, but time runs out.
Round Two
Lewis jumps into a big knee then drops his opponent with a heavy right hand! Oleinik tries to come up onto a single leg, but Lewis creates separation and hammers him into unconsciousness.

My GOODNESS! @TheBeast_UFC w/ another HL reel FINISH! #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/wxzGYO2fur
— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2020

Result: Derrick Lewis defeats Aleksei Oleinik via second-round knockout

For complete UFC Vegas 6: “Lewis Vs. Oleinik” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

Weidman Rallies, Decisions Akhmedov

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 03:02:27 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Omari Akhmedov and Chris Weidman faced off in a Middleweight bout tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a competitive bout, strong top control won Weidman the decision.

Weidman shot for an early single leg, but it was stuffed. He drove into the clinch moments later, but again Akhmedov pushed him off. Akhmedov kicked the calf. A third Weidman takedown is stuffed. Weidman stuck a jab and landed a left hook. Akhmedov ripped a pair of body shots. Akhmedov connected on a good right hand, then Weidman stuffed a poor takedown attempt from the Dagestani. Weidman snatched up a single leg and tripped his foe down to the mat. Akhmedov popped back up and was dragged back down. Weidman triangled the legs then pulled his foe off the fence. Weidman finished the round with a couple decent elbows.

An Akhmedov right hand glanced the chin. Akhmedov landed a big left hook then dumped Weidman to the mat with a double leg along the fence. Weidman turned away and stood up, taking a few punches in the process. Back in the center, both men are looking a bit labored. Weidman nearly landed a single leg. The two traded jabs. Akhmedov stuffed another takedown attempt along the fence. Akhmedov landed some wide swings. Heavy jab landed for Akhmedov, followed by a body hook. Akhmedov backed his opponent up, kept targeting the mid-section. Akhmedov doubled his opponent and landed in half-guard. Weidman returned to his feet, but Akhmedov continued to land. A third and fourth takedown briefly landed for Akhmedov, though he did nothing with either of them.

Weidman came out aggressive in the third, but his early single leg was stuffed. Akhmedov landed a clinch knee, but Weidman’s second shot was successful. Akhmedov popped back up quickly. Weidman took the back and attacked a banana split! Akhmedov was unbothered, but Weidman moved into mount and attacked the arm triangle! The Dagestani escaped, but he was still mounted. Akhmedov was thoroughly stuck on the bottom. Weidman returned to the arm triangle, but he was mostly using it to hold his opponent down. With 30 seconds remaining, Weidman actually started trying to land elbows, and he bloodied his foe up.

Weidman didn’t exactly light the world on fire — both men were tired early — but he got the win! Considering his recent losing streak and return to Middleweight, any victory is a good one.

Perhaps Weidman can build from this?

Result: Chris Weidman defeats Omari Akhemdov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

For complete UFC Vegas 6: “Lewis Vs. Oleinik” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

Submission! Watch ‘Dentist’ Finish Pitolo With Nasty Guillotine Choke

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 02:36:20 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Darren Stewart scored one of the biggest wins of his career earlier tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when “The Dentist” submitted power puncher Maki Pitolo with a first-round guillotine choke.

Despite Pitolo’s heavy-handed attack Stewart was able to pick his moments to score offense and put “Coconut Bombz” in trouble. “The Dentist” took advantage of his momentum and locked up a tight guillotine choke as Pitolo was attempting a takedown along the cage. Stewart cranked the choke and eventually forced the tap.

Check out the highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

With this performance, Stewart gets back into the middleweight win column after dropping a decision to Bartosz Fabinski back in March. The English veteran has scored some solid wins throughout his career, but he hasn’t been able to string a bunch of them together. Maybe his first career submission finish will get things rolling heading into the final months of 2020.

For complete UFC Vegas 6 results and coverage click here.

Lewis Aiming To Finish ‘Boa Constrictor’ In The Third

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 20:30:00 GMT

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Derrick Lewis will try to score his first knockout win in nearly two years when he takes on veteran heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik later this evening (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This will be Lewis’ first main event bid since getting finished by veteran Junior dos Santos in March of 2019. Since that loss, “Black Beast” has captured decision wins over Blagoy Ivanov and Ilir Latifi. They were hard fought victories, but not exactly the type of performances that fight fans have grown accustomed to seeing from the hard-hitting heavyweight finisher.

With six months since his last fight Lewis has had time to rethink his approach at heavyweight as well as work on some of the things that plagued him in the past. But even though he looked to be in really good shape for Friday’s official UFC Vegas 6 weigh ins (full replay HERE), Lewis doesn’t believe he’s in the best shape possible.

“I’m not (in the best shape ever),” Lewis told UFC’s Megan Olivi (shown above). “I ain’t going to lie to you, but I’m in better shape than I was in the last fight. I don’t feel like I’m in the best shape ever.”

If Lewis feels like he doesn’t have enough energy to go all five rounds with “Boa Constrictor” he’s going to come out guns blazing and do what he can to get Oleinik out early. In fact, “Black Beast” is predicting a knockout finish in the third round, which would be the fourth of his UFC career.

“It’s so crazy, I don’t know,” said Lewis when asked how his bout with Oleinik will end. “It’s damn sure not going to a decision because I don’t think me or him have the gas tank to go to a decision. So it’s going to be a finish in the third round.”

Lewis, 35, will hold a three-fight win streak in the UFC’s stacked heavyweight division should he take care of business against Oleinik. While that type of success would usually propel a fighter up the divisional ladder “Black Beast” understands there are other contenders in front of him. Not only is current UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic set to defend his title against Daniel Cormier in a trilogy fight at UFC 252, but surging contenders Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes are positioning themselves for future title shots as well.

“It just keeps me where I’m at,” Lewis said of a win at UFC Vegas 6 “Curtis and Ngannou, those guys have been on a winning streak as well. We just have to see what happens next week with ‘DC’ and Stipe.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 6 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

Chandler Talks Potential McGregor Fight, Predicts Early Stoppage

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 19:00:00 GMT

Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage

Michael Chandler is now the hottest free agent on the MMA market after taking out former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson via first-round KO last night (Fri., Aug. 7, 2020) at Bellator 243 (highlights HERE).

Chandler, 34, was competing in the last fight of his current Bellator MMM contract. The former Bellator lightweight champion has been a member of the organization for the past decade, but has made it known that he will entertain all offers heading into free agency.

Fight fans have long wondered how Chandler would fair against the competition in the UFC's stacked lightweight division and may end up witnessing the transition when it’s all said and done. Chandler is arguably the best fighter in the history of Bellator MMA and it’s interesting to think about his potential as a member of the UFC roster.

During the Bellator 243 post-fight press conference (full replay HERE), Chandler took a moment to discuss a potential move to UFC and a dream matchup against MMA superstar Conor McGregor.

“The thing about Conor McGregor is I’ve always loved what he has done with the sport,” said Chandler. “I’ve never once hated on him. In the very beginning, I did say he’s not as good as he thinks he is, but he’s better than we think he is, and he continued to prove that. I still don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is, but that’s a testament to his self-belief. If all of us had a little bit more self-belief, like Conor McGregor, life would be a little bit different and we’d look at life through a different lens.”

It’s unlikely that Chandler would be able to sign with UFC and immediately lock down a Red Panty Night opposite “Notorious,” but the former Bellator champion remains confident that he can finish the Irishman within two rounds.

“As far as that fight goes, I finish Conor in under two, in my opinion,” said Chandler. “It’d be similar to, shades of (Nate) Diaz I. Wear him down, hit him with hard shots – hard, hard shots. Take every single one of his shots. He’s got that sneaky and strong and thick and hard left hand that he throws, and it’s straight. You avoid that, wear him down a little bit, make him see Jesus. Just put him out.”

What say you, Maniacs? Will Chandler end up with UFC? If so, how would he do in a clash with Conor McGregor?

Let us know!

For complete Bellator 243 results and coverage click here.

Pic! McGregor Announces Engagement To Dee Devlin, Shows Off Huge Ring

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 17:48:05 GMT

Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for David Yurman

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will be tying the knot with long-time partner, Dee Devlin, after getting engaged this past week.

McGregor posted the news to his Instagram account early Saturday, showing off a massive ring in the process. Check out the announcement below:

View this post on Instagram
What a birthday, my future wife !
A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Aug 8, 2020 at 7:43am PDT

“What a birthday, my future wife!” wrote McGregor. Devlin’s 33rd birthday is this Sunday.

McGregor and Devlin have been together since 2008. They currently have two kids together, Conor Jack McGregor Jr, who turned three this past May, and Croia McGregor, who will be two this coming January. The two have shared quite a ride over the past seven years as “Notorious” became the most popular combat fighter in the world and one of the most influential figures in all of sports. Not to mention the millions upon millions of dollars McGregor has earned along the way.

McGregor, 32, announced his retirement from MMA this past June, making it the third time the Irishman has walked away from the sport. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion is likely to return at some point in the future — possibly in 2021— but he remains an inactive fighter for now.

The last time fight fans saw McGregor compete inside of the Octagon he ended up finishing Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds at UFC 246 this past January.

How To Watch ‘Lewis Vs. Oleinik’ TONIGHT On ESPN+!

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 17:00:00 GMT

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

It all goes down later tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, as heavyweight knockout specialist Derrick Lewis locks horns with submission guru Aleksei Oleinik in the main event.

In addition to the heavyweight headliner, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman makes his return to 185 pounds in a co-main event clash with veteran Omari Akhmedov, lightweight contender Beneil Dariush will try to fend off streaking veteran Scott Holtzman, and middleweight finisher Maki Pitolo tests his punching power against English mainstay Darren Stewart.

Fight fans will also get to watch a “Prelims” undercard featuring rising talent such as Kevin Holland, Nasrat Haqparast, Youssef Zalal, Gavin Tucker, and Laureano Staropoli.

Take a look below at UFC Vegas 6’s complete fight card lineup and start times:

Main Card (ESPN+)
9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
Maki Pitolo vs. Darren Stewart
Yana Kunitskaya vs. Julija Stoliarenko
Beneil Dariush vs. Scott Holtzman

‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN+)
6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT

Tim Means vs. Laureano Staropoli
Kevin Holland vs. Joaquin Buckley
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alexander Munoz
Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
Gavin Tucker vs. Justin Jaynes
Youssef Zalal vs. Peter Barrett
Irwin Rivera vs. Ali Al Qaisi

Here are all the ways to catch the action:

Online

UFC Vegas 6: ‘Lewis vs. Oleinik’ entire fight card can be viewed via the ESPN+ streaming app.
Subscriptions cost $4.99 per month.

Television

UFC Vegas 6: ‘Lewis vs. Oleinik’ is also accessible via Roku, AndroidTV, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Apple TV, Google’s Chromecast, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Tablet/Mobile

UFC Vegas 6: ‘Lewis vs. Oleinik’ entire fight card can be viewed via ESPN+ streaming app through Google Play and iTunes stores.

Bars

Check out a list of sports bars and pubs near you that will most likely be showing tonight’s fights CLICK HERE.

For more upcoming UFC events click here.

UFC Vegas 6 Clash: Lewis Vs. Oleinik!

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 16:00:00 GMT

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Aleksei Oleinik will clash TONIGHT (Aug. 8, 2020) at UFC Vegas 6 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lewis is a man who keeps things pretty simple. He shows up to fight more often than most of his peers, never stops trying to win, and hits pretty damn hard. It doesn’t always work, but Lewis is a staple of the top five and en route to his second title shot, so who are we to judge? Alternatively, Oleinik continues to prove that age is nonsense. The 43-year-old submission master is once again riding a winning streak, and his most recent victory opposite Fabricio Werdum may go down as the best in his 24-year professional career! “Boa Constrictor” just keeps going, and one has to respect it.

Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Derrick Lewis

Record: 23-7-1
Key Wins: Francis Ngannou (UFC 226), Alexander Volkov (UFC 229), Blagoy Ivanov (UFC 244), Marcin Tybura (UFC Fight Night 126), Shamil Abdurakhimov (UFC Fight Night 102)
Key Losses: Daniel Cormier (UFC 230), Junior dos Santos (UFC Fight Night 146), Mark Hunt (UFC Fight Night 110), Shawn Jordan (UFC Fight Night 68)
Keys to Victory: Lewis throws bombs. “The Black Beast” has a pair of fairly unique abilities that separate him from the pack of other big men who throw bricks: he is difficult to control on the mat, and Lewis maintains his power well past the point of exhaustion.

Against Oleinik, starting fast and trying to knock his foe out immediately just seems like the best move. Oleinik is not quick. He does not have the foot speed to really avoid a Lewis burst or jumping switch kick. He will be there to be hit, and generally, people say goodbye when Lewis touches them cleanly.

Letting Oleinik lead the dance offers no benefits to Lewis. He’s no counter puncher, and getting taken down by the Ukranian could actually have consequences! Instead, Lewis should make the most of his significant size advantage by bull-rushing the veteran grappler with heavy shots.

Obviously, Lewis should do his best to mix an uppercut or body shot into his assault to make the takedown a bit less appealing, but really, Oleinik is not known for his blast double. If Lewis charges, he likely covers up, and that’s great news for “The Black Beast.”

Aleksei Oleinik

Record: 59-13-1
Key Wins: Fabricio Werdum (UFC 249), Mark Hunt (UFC Fight Night 136), Travis Browne (UFC 213), Jared Rosholt (UFC Fight Night 57)
Key Losses: Alistair Overeem (UFC Fight Night 149), Walt Harris (UFC on ESPN 4), Curtis Blaydes (UFC 217), Daniel Omielanczuk (UFC Fight Night 91)
Keys to Victory: Oleinik’s relative surge of success hasn’t been a result of any real major change. He appears to show up a bit leaner — which is great! — but “Boa Constrictor” still swarms opponents with big swings, shoots or clinches whenever possible, and is a genuine master on the mat.

Though for different reasons — and not solely a personal desire for this fight to end quickly — my theoretical strategy for Oleinik is the same as above: start quickly! Oleinik does not want to spend a second more than is necessary hanging out at range with Lewis, where a sudden right hand or jumping kick could end his night.

Putting Lewis on his back foot is the right move. It may involve throwing himself into the danger zone, but when has that ever caused Oleinik to hesitate? Lewis is less dangerous when pressed, so going on the offensive may provide Oleinik a certain level of safety (if such a thing exists in MMA).

At any rate, Oleinik doesn’t have to be safe for long. He just needs a takedown, because Oleinik is better suited than almost anyone else to actually submit Lewis. He has the squeeze and the mastery of crushing big men to actually punish Lewis’ “Just Stand Up” strategy.

And, should Lewis’ stand ups prove effective against even Oleinik, well ... this fight isn’t likely to go well, but swinging aggressively at least gives him a shot.

Bottom Line

It’s a Heavyweight clash of styles!

Truthfully, neither an Oleinik nor Lewis title shot seem all that likely. They both have lost to several of the fighters ranked ahead of them in dominant fashion, which tends to really hamper title runs. Lewis has a better shot between the two, simply because he fights often enough to rebuild win streaks quickly and get back in contention.

If there’s an injury in the future or some other weirdness, Lewis being in the win column could prove enough for a second shot.

For the defeated man, it’s hard to say much really changes. The two veterans have accumulated a fair amount of losses over the years, but they’re still ranked inside the top 10. Until they lose to someone young up-and-comer, that’s unlikely to change, and that description does not at all fit either contender.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 6: “Lewis vs. Oleinik” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

At UFC Vegas 6, Derrick Lewis and Aleksei Oleinik will go to war in the main event. Which man will earn the victory?

MMAmania.com

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Hot Mic Catches Derrick Lewis Needing To ‘Take A S—t’

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Highlights! ‘Black Beast’ Enters UFC Record Books, Stops Oleinik With TKO

LIVE! Watch UFC Vegas 6 Post-Fight Presser Here!

‘Black Beast’ Batters Oleinik!

Weidman Rallies, Decisions Akhmedov

Submission! Watch ‘Dentist’ Finish Pitolo With Nasty Guillotine Choke

Lewis Aiming To Finish ‘Boa Constrictor’ In The Third

Chandler Talks Potential McGregor Fight, Predicts Early Stoppage

Pic! McGregor Announces Engagement To Dee Devlin, Shows Off Huge Ring

How To Watch ‘Lewis Vs. Oleinik’ TONIGHT On ESPN+!

Main Card (ESPN+)9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN+)6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT

Online

Television

Tablet/Mobile

Bars

UFC Vegas 6 Clash: Lewis Vs. Oleinik!

Derrick Lewis

Aleksei Oleinik

Bottom Line

Main Card (ESPN+)
9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN+)
6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT