Lewis v Spivac UFC Fight Night preview & best bets – Nov 20, 2022

This Sunday’s UFC Fight Night from the Apex in Las Vegas features some hard-hitting heavyweights in Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac – huge men who are sure to deliver the fireworks.

Derrick Lewis (26-10-0) is one of the most entertaining fighters on the UFC roster, not just in the octagon but also in front of the camera. His no-filter approach to life makes him a fan favourite with a huge following, but Lewis needs to deliver the goods in this fight if he hopes to remain a fixture in the heavyweight division.

‘The Black Beast’ has shared the ring with the biggest names in combat sport. He has 13 knocks to his credit, a UFC record, and has twice fought for the interim heavyweight title, coming up short against Daniel Cormier in 2018 and Ciryl Gane in 2021. There is not much finesse to his fighting style, Lewis plants his feet and looks to land one of his booming right hands. That said, he can mix in the occasional surprise kick and deliver solid ground and pound from top position.

The harsh reality of the fight game is that one day you’ve got the magic, and the next day it is simply gone. Most fighters struggle with the fleeting nature of their ability and fight for too long. We saw this on the weekend at UFC 281 when former champ Frankie Edgar was flattened by a flying knee and former title contender Dominic Reyes was face-planted from a first-round jab. These once great athletes are now finished. Their chins have deserted them, and no amount of high-level training, positive self-talk, or new sparring partners can bring back the magic.

Lewis may have entered this zone. He has been knocked out heavily in his last two fights against Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich, and we would be surprised if he has another winning run left. Lewis is 37, should have made a pile of money, and another loss might signal the end of his long and successful career. Father Time catches up with all athletes, but with professional fighters it can happen in an instant.

Serghei Spivac (14-3-0) is at the other end of his career. Just 27 years of age, he should be coming into his prime. The Moldovan has won his five of his last six fights and looks ready to mount a serious title run. A win over a big name like Lewis will certainly aid his cause and earn him a top 10 ranking.

Spivac is a heavy hitter who finished his last two bouts via early knock out, but also has a strong ground game with six submission wins to his credit. He is agile for a big man and possess decent cardio. These are the tools a heavyweight needs in his skill set. Spivac can be a bit reckless at times, but this can be attributed to inexperience. He submitted Tai Tuivasa with an arm triangle choke back in 2019, finished Greg Hardy’s UFC career in March 2022, and his only recent loss was to highly regarded Brit Tom Aspinall.

Spivac would be best served avoiding the early Lewis onslaught and then capitalising with either clean strikes or a timely takedown to finish the show. If he foolishly stands and trades while Lewis is still fresh, there is a chance he ends up flat on the mat. If he plays it smart and can survive the first three or four minutes, we expect Spivac to prevail in convincing fashion.

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