UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis Preview

MMA: UFC Fight Night-Raleigh-Blaydes vs Dos Santos

The heavyweight fight between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis was originally due to take place on the 27th of November but was postponed due to the fact Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, a new date has been agreed for this contest and the meeting between Blaydes and Lewis will take place at UFC Fight Night on the 20th of February.

The fight will be staged at the UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, and some of the other exciting bouts on the main card include a Women’s Bantamweight fight between Ketlen Vieira and Yana Kunitskaya plus a Featherweight contest between Charles Rosa and Darrick Minner. So, there is plenty of action to enjoy on the night.

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis Preview
Nov 2, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Derrick Lewis (red gloves) fights Blagoy Ivanov (blue gloves) during UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports

In terms of the main event and for those interested in having a wager, you must check out Sportsbetting24. Here you will find a great selection of the best online bookmakers, with detailed reviews of each. In addition, the website highlights the best bonuses and promotions and you may be able to take advantage of them when betting on the Blaydes vs Lewis fight. The question is, which man are you going to back for the victory?

It is believed the winner of this contest will produce the next contender for the UFC heavyweight title. That will be confirmed after champion Stipe Miocic defends his belt against Francis Ngannou later in 2021 but it is a huge incentive for both men to succeed.

Blaydes comes into the fight having won each of his last four contests and currently holds a 13-2 record. Razor is ranked second in the UFC heavyweight rankings and this suggests he should come out on top in Las Vegas. His most recent fight was back in June 2020 and Blaydes defeated Alexander Volkov by unanimous decision. Having won 8 of his last 9 fights, Blaydes certainly seems on top of his game and he recorded 14 takedowns in the win over Volkov, setting a UFC record for the most takedowns in a heavyweight fight. Blaydes will enter the fight as the bookmakers favourite.

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis Preview
Jan 25, 2020; Raleigh, NC, USA; Curtis Blaydes (red gloves) and Junior Dos Santos (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis has won his past three fights so will come into this contest with plenty of confidence. The former UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger last fought on the 8th of August 2020 at UFC Fight Night 174. Lewis defeated Aleksei Oleinik by TKO having sent him to the canvas before finishing him off with a flurry of punches on the ground. In recording that victory, Lewis set a record for most knockouts by a heavyweight in UFC history.

Having recorded 19 of his 24 professional victories via knockout, it appears as though the best path to victory for Lewis in this fight is to knock Blaydes out. As he comes into the contest as the outsider with the bookies, perhaps aiming for a quick finish is the best option for Lewis. Therefore, we could see plenty of action in the opening rounds but if Lewis fails to stop the fight in the early stages, it should play into the hands of Blaydes. 

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