It’s not even a week left for UFC 291 which will be headlined by Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje for the vacant BMF title as the main event. The event will also be the light heavyweight debut for former middleweight champ Alex Pereira. However, it’s a crucial event for former heavyweight title contender Derrick Lewis.
As Derrick Lewis would like to end his losing streak in the UFC 291 on July 29th in Salt Lake City. Derrick is up against Marcos for the heavyweight bout. Derrick Lewis has lost his last three fights inside the Octagon and this will be a crucial one for the fighter’s career ahead. He last fought Serghei Spivac in February, this year where he lost by submission in the first round itself. Lewis, who once looked like a bright prospect for the heavyweight division is struggling currently.
Derrick Lewis will fight Marcos Rogerio de Lima at #UFC291 on July 29th. #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 #UFCSaltLakeCity pic.twitter.com/1aCS2gjjeV
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) May 16, 2023
His opponent, Marcos Rogério de Lima has won his last two fights and will look to continue the winning streak in the heavyweight clash against Lewis as well. Having fought Waldo Cortes-Acosta in his last fight, de Lima won comfortably by a unanimous decision. Let us compare the stats of the two heavyweights to have a better understanding of who will have the upper hand in their match-up at UFC 291.
UFC 291: Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima, stats
Stats | Derrick Lewis | Rogerio de Lima |
---|---|---|
Wins | 26 | 21 |
Losses | 11 | 9 |
Height | 6 ft 3 in | 6 ft 1 in |
Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
Reach | 79 in | 75 in |
Age | 38 | 38 |
Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima, Fight Breakdown, and Prediction
While both of them are dominant fighters, it is obvious that there will be a lot of pressure on Derrick Lewis as he would like to get out of the toughest phase of his career. ‘The Black Beast’ even fought Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in 2021, where Ciryl Knockout Derrick.
Lewis is a strong striker and jointly holds the record for the most number of knock-outs in the UFC with 13 KOs under his belt. Even UFC boss Dana White has lauded his striking ability.
His opponent Marcos Rogério de Lima has had a career full of ups and downs. Having entered UFC after participating in the Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, ‘Pezao’ has struggled with consistency. However, he will ride high on confidence when he enters the octagon to fight Lewis. The Brazilian has won 4 out of his last 5 fights.
The fight is in Salt Lake City, Utah which is located at a higher altitude. That definitely comes into play during the last round of the fight. Although this one is a three-round bout, the heavyweights can still face endurance issues.
Keeping the stats in consideration, Derrick Lewis has got the power to finish the match-up against de Lima early. However, should the fight enter the last round, de Lima has a high chance of winning the bout. what are your though on this?