Tag: UFC Fight Night 218

Serghei Spivac: Derrick Lewis ‘only one that knows the truth’ about November fight scratch

Serghei Spivac says he isn’t the person to come to for insight on why his November main event with Derrick Lewis was canceled.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] says he isn’t the person to come to for insight on why his November main event with Derrick Lewis was canceled midway through the event.

Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who faces Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) in the rebooked matchup on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 218, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+, says he was given many versions of the story behind Lewis’ late withdrawal, so he’s not sure which one is accurate.

He doesn’t seem to care much, though, either. He’s pleased the UFC ran the fight back and gave him the opportunity, and that’s where his focus on the situation stops.

“(I found out the fight was canceled) about 10 minutes before I was going to leave my hotel room,” Spivac told reporters through an interpreter during Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 218 media day. “There’s a lot of things that I was told, but he’s the only one that knows the truth, so I didn’t bother things about that.”

Spivac said he was largely emotionless when the news came about the fight cancellation. He said he wished Lewis “nothing but the best,” and hoped to move forward with his career.

The Moldavian heavyweight also said he’s not concerned that history could repeat itself and Saturday’s fight won’t happen. He’s planning that it will, and when he’s in the octagon, will fight hard to get his hand raised.

“I’m hopeful very much that I will win this fight,” Spivac said.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Daniel Cormier: Derrick Lewis ‘absolutely done at the top,’ but he’ll KO Serghei Spivac at UFC Fight Night 218

Daniel Cormier isn’t ready to write off Derrick Lewis as long as he’s not fighting the upper echelon of the UFC heavyweight division.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] isn’t ready to write off Derrick Lewis if he’s not fighting the upper echelon of the UFC heavyweight division.

Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) meets Serghei Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Lewis, the UFC record holder for most knockout wins, will look to snap a two-fight losing skid, and Cormier sees him being successful against No. 12-ranked heavyweight Spivac.

“I don’t know if Spivac is the guy,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “I’m trying not to insult Serghei Spivac, because I like the kid. I think he’s a nice guy. I think he’s a good fighter. … He’s still losing to the guys that are ranked very highly, and I just don’t know if Serghei is quite at that level.

“So, I’m gonna tap in that Derrick Lewis wins the fight. I think he’s gonna knock him out, but I do believe that – I think Derrick’s done at the top. I think Derrick’s absolutely done at the top of the division. I just don’t know if he still can’t knock out No. 10, 11, 12, 13, because I just don’t think those guys are as good as they are.”

Lewis’ three most recent losses came to former interim champion Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa, and surging contender Sergei Pavlovich. Spivac, on the other hand, is currently riding some momentum with back-to-back TKO finishes of Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai.

At Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 218 media day, Lewis responded to the “bullsh*t” comments from Cormier.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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UFC free fight: Serghei Spivac mauls Greg Hardy in quick first-round TKO

Watch Serghei Spivac make quick work of Greg Hardy.

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] made sure to bounce back from defeat in an impressive fashion.

The Moldovan fighter made quick work of former NFL standout Greg Hardy back at UFC 272 in March 2022. Spivac took down Hardy early in the first round and then went on to achieve mount. From there, “Polar Bear” began to land big shots, forcing the referee to stop the bout.

It was Spivac’s first fight back since suffering a first-round TKO loss to Tom Aspinall.

You can watch Spivac’s dominant win in the video above.

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Spivac returns to the cage this Saturday, as he takes on veteran Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Fight Night 218. This is the second time the two have been scheduled to fight, as they were previously booked for November. However, on the day of the fight, Lewis withdrew from the matchup due to illness.

Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is on a two-fight winning streak, having Augusto Sakai in August following his win over Hardy. He’s also 5-1 in his past six outings.

Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) is looking to snap a two-fight losing skid. He was stopped by Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 277 in July and then knocked out by Tai Tuivasa last February.

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UFC free fight: Derrick Lewis starches Curtis Blaydes with nasty uppercut

Watch Derrick Lewis flatten Curtis Blaydes in crazy KO.

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]’s power in the heavyweight division is almost unmatched.

The former UFC title challenger has given fans plenty of knockouts throughout his tenure in the Las Vegas-based company. And perhaps one of his most brutal ones came against Curtis Blaydes in the main event of UFC Fight Night 185 back in early 2021.

After a rough first round, Lewis completely flattened Blaydes with a nasty uppercut, as Blaydes looked to change levels and go for a takedown. The win earned Lewis the opportunity to challenge for the interim heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane.

You can watch Lewis’ nasty KO in the video above.

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Lewis returns to the cage this Saturday against Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC Fight Night 218 in Las Vegas.

Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) is coming off two consecutive stoppage losses. He lost to Sergei Pavlovich in July by TKO and then to Tai Tuivasa by KO last February.

Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), on the other hand, is on a two-fight winning streak. He stopped Augusto Sakai and Greg Hardy in his two most recent performances. He’s also 5-1 in his past six bouts, with the lone defeat coming against Tom Aspinall.

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UFC Fight Night 218 pre-event facts: Will Derrick Lewis add to knockout record?

Check out the numbers behind UFC Vegas 68, where Derrick Lewis can add to his all-time UFC knockout record.

The UFC opens a busy February schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 218, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

A heavyweight headliner serves atop the card. The most decorated knockout artist in UFC history returns to competition as [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) looks to buck his losing skid against the streaking [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 218.

Laura Sanko to make UFC color commentary debut at UFC Fight Night 218

At UFC Fight Night 218, Laura Sanko will become the first female color commentator in the modern UFC era.

[autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag] will make history at UFC Fight Night 218 as a part of the commentary team.

The promotion announced in a press release that Sanko will make her official UFC color commentary debut at UFC Fight Night 218, which takes place Feb. 4 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Sanko will become the first female color commentator in the modern UFC era to call an official UFC event.

“Taking the next step to join the UFC commentary team has been a goal of mine since I began my broadcast career,” Laura Sanko said in the release. “It is an honor to walk in the footprint of Kathy Long 30 years after her appearance on UFC 1. I consider it a true privilege to be part of the team that is a voice to our incredible fans, communicating the fighting art of each man and woman who steps inside the UFC Octagon.”

Since 2016, Sanko has been a part of UFC broadcasts, initially working as a backstage reporter before joining the commentary team on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.

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“I can’t think of anyone better to be the first female color commentator for the modern UFC era than Laura,” UFC President Dana White said in the release. “She has worked incredibly hard to prove herself and get to this position and I couldn’t be prouder to have her calling the action.”

On DWCS broadcasts, Sanko did a little of everything, from commentating fights, interviewing winning fighters, to announcing contract winners alongside White. Now, she will realize the goal she set out to accomplish in 2022.

“Laura brings passion, enthusiasm and an undeniable work ethic to all of her roles with the UFC,” UFC Vice President & Coordinating Producer Zach Candito said in the release. “There is no doubt she’ll do the same in this elevated opportunity as the first-ever female color commentator at the UFC during the Zuffa era. We are thrilled to add her to our talented stable of commentators and her expert analysis promises to be a great addition to UFC broadcasts moving forward.”

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UFC Fight Night 218: Make your predictions for Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC Fight Night 218 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC Fight Night 218 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

Heavy hitters adorn poster for UFC Fight Night 218 – and its late (1 a.m. ET!) main card start time

After a week off, the UFC will be back in its Las Vegas home base next week with a rescheduled heavyweight fight at the top of the lineup.

After a week off, the UFC will be back in its Las Vegas home base next week with a rescheduled heavyweight fight at the top of the lineup.

In the UFC Fight Night 218 main event, two-time title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) will take on [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC). The UFC announced the fight in mid-December.

The matchup was set to be the UFC Fight Night 215 headliner, but Lewis became ill the day of the event and the fight was canceled in the middle of the show.

Lewis will be looking to get back in the win column after losses to Tai Tuivasa nearly a year ago and Sergei Pavlovich this past July. Lewis’ most recent win came against Chris Daukaus in December 2021, when he picked up a record-setting knockout.

Spivac has won two straight with stoppage victories over Greg Hardy in March 2022 and Augusto Sakai this past August. The fight will be his first UFC main event in what will be his 10th appearance.

UFC Fight Night 218

UFC Fight Night 218 takes place Feb. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+. Check out the poster for the event above.

The latest UFC Fight Night 218 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 1 a.m. ET)

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Devin Clark vs. Da-un Jung
  • Blagoy Ivanov vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Dooho Choi vs. Kyle Nelson
  • Adam Fugitt vs. Yusaku Kinoshita

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Anshul Jubli vs. Jeka Saragih
  • Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Yi Zha
  • Toshiomi Kazama vs. Rinya Nakamura
  • Seung Guk Choi vs. Sung Hyun Park
  • Mandy Bohm vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Junyong Park vs. Denis Tiuliulin
  • Jesus Santos Aguilar vs. Tatsuro Taira

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Doo Ho Choi returns against Kyle Nelson at UFC Fight Night 218 on Feb. 4

South Korea’s Doo Ho Choi will return from a layoff of more than three years to face Kyle Nelson at UFC Fight Night 218 in Februrary.

[autotag]Doo Ho Choi[/autotag] is back.

Choi will return from a layoff of more than three years to face [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 218 on Feb. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, promotion officials announced Tuesday. The AllStar first reported the news.

After three first-round finishes to kick off his octagon tenure, Choi (14-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has dropped three straight – including a war with Cub Swanson that was inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame earlier this year. The 31-year-old South Korean fighter hasn’t competed since a TKO loss to Charles Jourdain in December 2019.

Nelson (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC) also will look to snap a skid after back-to-back losses to Billy Quarantillo and Jai Herbert. In five UFC appearances, the Canadian’s lone win came in a first-round TKO over Marco Polo Reyes in September 2019.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 218 lineup includes:

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Devin Clark vs. Da Un Jung
  • Mandy Bohm vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Adam Fugitt vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
  • Jesus Santos Aguilar vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed
  • Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jun Yong Park
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Kyle Nelson

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