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Check out the best photos from Derrick Lewis’ third-round TKO win over Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC on ESPN 56.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]’ third-round TKO win over [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. (Fight and venue photos by Jeff Le, USA Today Sports)
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 56 main event between Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 56 main event between former heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and rising contender [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag].
Staple info:
Supplemental info:
+ Legacy FC heavyweight title
+ Regional MMA accolades
+ 22 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 9 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Dangerous overhands and uppercuts
+ Underrated kicks and knees
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Strikes well off the breaks
+ Shows improved wrestling
+ Deceptive scrambling/getup ability
+ Devastating ground striker
Staple info:
Supplemental info:
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ Grappling tournament experience
+ 2 KO victories
+ 6 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ Shows improved overall striking
^ Variates looks and levels
+ Accurate jabs and uppercuts
+ Deceptively quick kicks
+ Serviceable wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Solid transitional grappler
+ Diverse submission acumen
The main event in St. Louis features a heavyweight showdown between Lewis and Nascimento.
Stepping onto the scene as an unabashed brawler, Lewis has shown some signs of improvement underneath the scary destructions that often take place in his fights. An athletic mover for his size, Lewis can throw accurate knees and head kicks with little signs of struggle.
Never noticed this before, but Derrick Lewis gives a nice, candid reaction to Bruce Buffer – who mixes up Lewis’ win-loss record during the intro for his UFC debut. #UFC230 pic.twitter.com/eBHMj2rLR8
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 28, 2018
A downright scary distance closer when he chooses to be, Lewis can force his opponents into the fence whether or not he lands on them, almost in a juggernaut-like fashion. With a frame that is hard to control in close, the 39-year-old slugger does his best work when striking off the breaks, maintaining a dangerous potency in small spaces that go deep into the fight.
Lewis also has an appetite for the counter, showing that he’s not beyond setting traps and playing possum in order to draw his opponents into his uncanny power. That said, Lewis will still need to respect what is coming his way this Saturday.
Enter Nascimento.
A natural heavyweight by many metrics, Nascimento moves deceptively well for a man of his size.
Working diligently on his boxing since signing with the UFC, Nascimento does a decent job with his fundamental striking form. Whether Nascimento is utilizing economical punching mechanics or keeping his weight over his feet, the 31-year-old Brazilian will work his way into space off his lead hand, all while keeping his patent right uppercut at the ready.
When feeling in stride, Nascimento will punctuate his combinations with kicks, showing a sneaky switch-kick off his lead side.
Nevertheless, Nascimento will need to be careful about crowding his work into the clinch – an area where Lewis can stage comebacks.
Considering the high potential for chaos on the feet, no one should be shocked if this party hits the floor.
Despite Lewis showing a surprising ability to hit inside trips in recent fights, I suspect that Nascimento will be the more eager man in the takedown department given his on-paper edge.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt who has experience in grappling competitions, Nascimento has shown a serviceable wrestling ability since working stateside with American Top Team in South Florida.
Whether Nascimento is working from the clinch or looking to change his level for a double-leg along the cage, the 12-year pro displays some sneaky savvy when looking to shift his intensity level and look for a takedown. That said, taking down someone like Lewis is easier said than done.
Traditionally dealing with fighters who are trying to grapple him, Lewis wields deceptively effective counter-grappling tactics. Whether he’s hoisting his opponent up with a whizzer or shucking someone off with an underhook, Lewis has been hard to take down along the fence, as single legs or outside trips in open space seem to be what gets him grounded most.
Even when successfully taken down, Lewis still offers a lot of sneaky static in regard to stymying submission attempts and strikes.
Like a sand shark lying in wait, Lewis plays a conservative game when put on his back, keeping his arms in tight for safety while waiting for the right moment to explode (usually timing his opposition when they’re in transition). Once allowed the smallest of space for momentum, Lewis will force his way to his base, turtling to a tripod position to stand.
As someone who is a fan of this style of get-up, I can tell you that it can be a nightmare to encounter when executed properly. For example, Lewis – while keeping his base firmly beneath him – will maintain an angle on his back that resembles a steep ski slope.
Although this tripod position invites back-takes to the naked eye, the downward slope Lewis keeps serves as a trap, making eager back takers ultimately slide forward and lose position (all while allowing the Texas native to stand back up). And if Lewis is able to end up on top via swimming for underhooks and shucking, then we could see a drastic shift in this matchup’s momentum given the hellfire of ground-and-pound he provides.
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the American, listing Lewis -172 and Nascimento +138 via FanDuel. Lewis has been an underdog in his last four fights, from near-even money all the way up to +370 in his last bout against Almeida. Meanwhile, Nascimento has been a favorite in each of his six UFC bouts thus far, except one – a fight he won against Tanner Boser in 2022.
Outside of a literal select few (Daniel Cormier, Serghei Spivac and Jailton Almeida), fighters who try to grapple Lewis generally end up with their consciousness stripped from their body. And when it comes to fighters who have successfully stood with Lewis, undeniable knockout power and athleticism appear to be crucial parts of the equation that I’m not sure Nascimento has.
Whether we’re talking one-shot stopping power or explosive finishes to takedown shots, Nascimento does not appear to be a standout in those key categories despite generally having the right idea in fights.
Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of ways for a heavyweight fight to get to the ground, and Nascimento demonstrated in his first fight with Don’Tale Mayes that he is one of the handful of big men who can competently take a back in transition.
Don't let @ZeColmeiiia take your back 😳
He's chasing down his 4th straight win Saturday night! #UFCStLouis pic.twitter.com/OUb7gulFjK
— UFC (@ufc) May 6, 2024
But if the Brazilian fails and ends up on the bottom, then I believe that this fight will turn in the blink of an eye given the susceptibility to ground strikes that Nascimento has shown in the past.
Although Nascimento’s propensity to eat left-sided strikes won’t be as prominent against a right-hand happy fighter like Lewis, I see punches off the break sparking off a finish for the Texan that’s likely finalized on the floor.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see either a feeling-out period or grapple-fest from Nascimento early, so I’ll officially pick Lewis to score a second-round knockout.
Prediction: Lewis inside the distance
Lewis and Nascimento are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. PT). The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
The microphone can be a powerful thing in MMA, but Derrick Lewis balances crass comedy, criticism and callouts after his wins.
In MMA, fighters learned quickly the power of the microphone can be a mighty thing.
That power also can be used in ways the industry has termed “cringe”-worthy, and that’s what we see more often than not – prepared zingers that no doubt were practiced in bathroom mirrors dozens of times, but that don’t come out the same after getting smacked in the mouth a bunch of times.
Then there’s [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag], who seems to be able to combine the best of all microphone worlds – unfiltered off-the-cuff one-liners, knee-jerk reactions to post-fight questions, and some thought-of-in-advance stuff that oftentimes requires a “Wait, did he just say that?” and a quick rewind.
Ahead of his UFC on ESPN 56 headliner against Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), take a look back at some of the best post-fight in-cage interview moments from the UFC career of two-time heavyweight title challenger and unofficial MMA interview Hall of Famer Derrick Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC).
UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event in St. Louis.
UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.
The weigh-ins took place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 12 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, including the [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] heavyweight headliner, St. Louis’ own [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] in the welterweight co-main event, plus more.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
The main event for the UFC’s long-awaited return to St. Louis is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
The main event for the UFC’s long-awaited return to St. Louis is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 56 (ESPN/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at Enterprise Center, two-time heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) and opponent [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stepped on the scale.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
Re-live Derrick Lewis’s brutal 2017 KO of Travis Browne ahead of his return this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56.
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] has given fans incredible highlights throughout the years, and yet, his 2017 knockout over Travis Browne still remains one of his best wins.
“The Black Beast” put away Browne in brutal fashion in the second round of their heavyweight main event of UFC Fight Night 105. This stoppage came after gut-wrenching body kicks from Brown that had Lewis in trouble multiple times in the fight. Although the fight lasted less than two rounds, it was a wild affair that won Fight of the Night honors.
You can watch Lewis’ win over Brown in the video above.
Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday. He takes on Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 56, which goes down at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
Derrick Lewis thinks he’s currently in the best form of his fighting career ahead of UFC on ESPN 56, despite his record showing otherwise.
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] thinks he’s currently in the best form of his fighting career, despite his record showing otherwise.
Former heavyweight title challenger Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) has lost four of his past five bouts dating back to February 2022 as he enters Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 main event with Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), which takes place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis (ESPN, ESPN+).
The rough run of results hasn’t held Lewis back too much, though. The all-time UFC knockout wins record holder is about to enter the second bout on an eight-fight contract he signed last summer, and is days away from his 11th octagon headliner, which is tied for the second-most of any active UFC fighter behind only Jon Jones (19).
Only so much losing can happen for even the most beloved fighters on the UFC roster, though. At 39, all the on-paper trends are going against Lewis. Yet, his optimism about his future prevails.
“I’m more excited about this fight than any other fight I’ve ever had,” Lewis told reporters at UFC on ESPN 56 media day. “I trained my butt off for this one, and I don’t have no injuries coming into this fight. I’m feeling healthy. I’m less than 10 pounds away from making my weight already. And usually I’m like 15 pounds, 20 pounds before weigh-ins. I’m less than 10 pounds right now from making weight.
“I’m feeling great right now. I actually really feel like this is my prime. Whenever I was in my 20s, early 30s, I didn’t feel this good. Now I’m feeling fantastic right now.”
Lewis’ positive perspective is all the more intriguing considering he’s coming off arguably the most frustrating performance of his career. “The Black Beast” suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to surging Brazilian contender Jailton Almeida in November in a bout where he was controlled on the ground for 21 minutes and 10 seconds out of 25 minutes, and landed just 20 significant strikes.
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According to Lewis, the adversity and turmoil he encountered en route to stepping into the cage against Almeida was significant, and it made things near-impossible to get up from bottom position.
“The only thing that was bothering me was I tore both my shoulders,” Lewis said. “Like after I signed I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll accept the fight.’ Then a few days later I tore both my shoulders doing stupid jiu-jitsu drills. My rotator cuffs on both sides. So I couldn’t really push off or throw a punch. Then even throwing an uppercut hurt it.
“Then the week of the fight, that Monday. I had two ear infections in my left ear and my right ear at the same time and I didn’t get over that until like three weeks after the fight. It was a bad performance, but I was feeling great. I was feeling great. I was surprised with myself that we even went five rounds. I was comfortable in there, but I just didn’t have any strength in my shoulders.”
Lewis, No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, said he would like to book a rematch with Almeida is he defeats Nascimento this weekend. He admits that he doesn’t know much about his opponent, and left the studying and game plan to his coaches.
Even if he has nothing personal toward Nascimento, there is an element of motivation with this particular matchup. Lewis has had mixed results going against fighters training out of the highly acclaimed American Top Team in Florida, and that reality is not lost on him.
Lewis thinks that the coaches from his opposing team have him well-scouted and will try to pass that knowledge on to Nascimento. But this time he has a response in store.
“They got it out for me, especially over there at American Top Team,” Lewis said. “Every Brazilian I’m fighting is coming from over there. But those guys, they get them in pretty good shape coming out of American Top Team. So I know they’ll have this guy ready. They know what’s up. They’ve been fighting me for so many years coming out of that gym, they know my style I’m pretty sure. But it’s going to be a completely new style coming into this fight.
“I want to do something special. I’ve been working on it on my in my garage. My coach don’t know nothing about this. So what I’m about to throw out the first minute of my fight, my coach don’t have nothing to do with it. So if you all see me throw something crazy, just know it wasn’t my coaches idea. It’s my idea. That’s how good I’m feeling right now.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento will collide in the UFC on ESPN 56 heavyweight headliner. Here’s what you need to know.
Two big men will throw down in the UFC on ESPN 56 main event when heavyweights [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] meet in the octagon.
It’s been a steep decline for Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) ever since his failed attempt at the UFC interim heavyweight championship. After losing that fight to Ciryl Gane by third-round TKO in August 2021, Lewis, 39, has gone 2-4 and at one point was on a three-fight skid against Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich and Serghei Spivac. Lewis then got back in the win column with a first-round finish of Marcos Rogerio de Lima in 33 seconds, but he’s coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jailton Almeida in a five-round main event last November.
Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is on his best streak since earning a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. The 31-year-old Brazilian is on a three-fight winning streak after claiming back-to-back split decisions against Tanner Boser and Ilir Latifi before most recently beating Don’Tale Mayes for the second time last November.
With fight week upon us, Nascimento is just a slight -145 favorite while Lewis checks in as a tiny +114 underdog, according to DraftKings.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
The UFC has tabbed a couple of big men to headline the promotion’s first event in St. Louis since 2018.
The UFC has tabbed a couple of big men to headline the promotion’s return to St. Louis.
On Saturday, the UFC announced that [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] will serve as the main event for UFC Fight Night on May 11 at Enterprise Center. The event marks the UFC’s first in St. Louis since Jan. 14, 2018.
Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) vs. Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is a matchup of two top-15 heavyweights headed in different directions.
Lewis, 39, has been on a downswing ever since his interim title-fight loss to Ciryl Gane in August 2021 at UFC 265. Including that result, Lewis is 2-5 since then. He most recently lost a five-round unanimous decision to Jailton Almeida last November.
Nascimento, 31, hasn’t been very active, competing just five times since joining the UFC in 2020, but he’s on a three-fight winning streak. He defeated Tanner Boser and Ilir Latifi by split decision before most recently taking a unanimous decision from Don’Tale Mayes last November.
With the addition, below is the updated lineup for UFC St. Louis:
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Check out a full recap of 2023’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2023’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
