UFC Vegas 15: Blaydes vs Lewis Preview

This weekend we are treated to a Heavyweight main event with potential title implications between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. Blaydes, who is riding a 4-fight win streak will be looking for an emphatic statement victory after he received criticism for his performance against Alexander Volkov back in June. Dana White ripped into the wrestler after he called for a title shot, stating 'with his performance tonight and his cardio I wouldn't wait around, I'd be staying active', going on to say 'I like Curtis Blaydes, but Curtis Blaydes has the wrong attitude [...] when you talk the s*** that he talked and perform like you performed tonight, you look stupid'. The onus will be on Blaydes who currently sits at #2 in the division behind the champion Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou to deliver a more standout performance this weekend. 

In his way is the #4 ranked Derrick Lewis, a fearsome power puncher who cannot be underestimated. 'The Black Beast' is himself on a 3-fight win streak, his latest win a TKO over Russian submission ace Alexey Oleinik. Lewis' power is a well-documented phenomenon, his Hail Mary knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 and subsequent post-fight interview now the subject of MMA legend. 

Lewis' key to victory in my eyes is ensuring he doesn't let Blaydes dump him on his back and work his ground and pound. Lewis averages 52% on his takedown defence, and will need to use every facet of his game to ensure he doesn't allow Blaydes to implement his game plan. Lewis' use of flying knees will be vital here, he must discourage the takedown and force Blaydes to stand with him. However, Blaydes is no pushover on the feet, his TKO victory over Junior dos Santos proof of this. I would be doubtful that Blaydes will want to stand with Lewis but improvements in his stand-up have not gone unnoticed. Both men are BJJ Blue Belts, although they hold only 1 submission victory between them. Lewis has a win via an armbar before he was in the UFC so I would be surprised if we see a submission on Saturday but this is an unpredictable sport so we will have to wait and see. If the fight goes to the ground on Lewis' terms then Blaydes should be worried. Lewis has showed brutal ground and pound in the past and stated 'I believe I could take Curtis down and punish him on the ground. I'm gonna take Curtis down and finish him'. What a statement that would be. I'm hoping for a victory for Derrick Lewis but unfortunately I think that Blaydes' wrestling will prove too much, however Lewis does have the great equaliser so we shall see. 

In the co-main event we have Anthony Smith versus Devin Clark. Smith will be looking to return to the win column with a victory here, after losses to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. For Clark this fight presents a massive opportunity. Smith is currently ranked at #6 at Light Heavyweight so if Clark were to win and win convincingly it would massively elevate his stock, put his name out there and put the rest of the division on notice. I have to be honest, I feel like this fight is a bit of a gift for Smith. Clark is 6-4 in the UFC and his victories hardly set the world on fire. His losses have come to tough opposition though so we can't overlook him completely. I would like to say with confidence that Smith will come through this one with little trouble, but his recent losses cast doubt in my mind. Clark could seize this chance and have the performance of his life. We will have to wait and see.

As for the rest of the card, we have some good match-ups, my pick would be Takashi Sato vs Miguel Baeza for an exciting fight. Sato boasts an impressive 16-3 record whilst Baeza is undefeated. I'd take Baeza for the win but don't sleep on Sato. We also have the return of the always entertaining Spike Carlyle so you can certainly expect some action where he is concerned. 

It should be a fun night of fights and we look forward to seeing who will step up and seize their opportunity!

~ James Eakin

Image credits: [Centre] "UFC Fight Night on ESPN+: Blaydes vs Lewis", Penny Buffington. Available at: mmafightradio.com/2020/11/19/ufc-fight-night-on-espn-blaydes-vs-lewis-how-to-watch-fight-card-and-info/ [Accessed Nov' 20]

References: "Derrick Lewis: 'I'm gonna take Curtis Blaydes down and finish him. That's the headline'", TheMacLife. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSbPofFMEBI [Accessed Nov' 20].