Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Derrick Lewis after UFC on ESPN+ 32 win?

See who Derrick Lewis should fight next after his TKO of Aleksei Oleinik in the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main event.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Aleksei Oleinik after UFC on ESPN+ 32 loss?)

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] proved himself to be the ultimate knockout artist in UFC heavyweight history on Saturday when he stopped Aleksei Oleinik in the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main event.

Lewis (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) pushed his winning streak to three consecutive fights when he scored a second-round TKO of Oleinik (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. With the finish, “The Black Beast” passed Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for sole possession of the heavyweight knockout record with his 11th in octagon competition.

Although he’s only been in the promotion since 2014, it feels like Lewis has already done it all in the UFC. He’s stacked up records, headlined and won some very big fights, challenged for the title and more. He couldn’t claim the gold the first around against Daniel Cormier, but he’s gaining momentum toward a second chance.

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What’s the best fight to take Lewis to the belt? Or could this win possibly even get him there with no telling what will happen after Stipe Miocic and Cormier resolve their trilogy next weekend at UFC 252?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Lewis’ future after UFC on ESPN+ 32.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Aleksei Oleinik after UFC on ESPN+ 32 loss?

See who Aleksei Oleinik should fight next after his TKO loss to Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 32.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Derrick Lewis after UFC on ESPN+ 32 win?)

[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] could not get over the hump into the next level of title contention on Saturday when he lost to Derrick Lewis in the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main event.

Oleinik (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) had moments in the bout and a legitimate chance to win, but ultimately he succumbed to the historic power of Lewis (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) for a second-round TKO loss in the heavyweight headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

At 43, the fact Oleinik is even competing at a main-event level is remarkable. His submission savvy and grappling-heavy style can likely keep him going for a few more fights, but a sharp decline is inevitable

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Because of that, Oleinik needs to get in as many big ones as possible now. It would behoove him to keep a close eye on Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik next weekend at UFC 252.

Should Oleinik face the winner or the loser of that matchup, though? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32’s Beneil Dariush not mad he didn’t get bonus, explains first weight miss

Beneil Dariush’s weight miss meant no bonus for a spectacular knockout, but he says he only has himself to blame.

LAS VEGAS — On any other evening, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s spinning backfist knockout of Scott Holtzman – only the eighth such finish in nearly 27 years of UFC action – would have been a no-brainer pick for a “Performance of the Night” award.

But Dariush (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) missed weight by two pounds for the scheduled lightweight main-card opener of UFC on ESPN+ 32, and by policy was ineligible to win an extra $50,000.

And while that would be enough to ruin most people’s nights, Dariush thinks because he didn’t live up to his end of the bargain by making the contracted weight, he didn’t deserve an award.

“I missed weight, so I don’t deserve it,” Dariush told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after the fight. “That’s perfectly fine. If anyone deserves it, it’s Scott. He came in for the kill and he took the fight. I missed weight, man. He didn’t have to take the fight. I’m not a walk in the park. I’m not tying to sound cocky, but it’s not like he’s taking an easy fight, you know?”

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This marked the first time in a 24-fight career dating back to 2009 that Dariush missed weight. And he understands why it happened.

According to Dariush, who was fighting for the first time in the COVID-19 era, he failed to account for how the UFC’s coronavirus protocols potentially affect his weight cut until it was too late.

“It was poor planning on my part,” Dariush said. “Typically, I have a little bit more freedom, because typically we don’t have the COVID protocols. So I didn’t take those protocols into consideration and I just didn’t do things the way I should have.

“I had about an hour left with the two pounds and I was doing the bath and the weight didn’t come off. I did the bath and I only lost .4 (pounds). I said to myself I’ll just go to the sauna at the (UFC) Performance Institute, but at that point they said, ‘You can’t go.’ That’s my fault. That’s not their fault. I didn’t even listen to the protocols.”

Either way, Dariush is on fire in the lightweight division with five straight wins. And he said he’s not going to go begging for big fights anymore.

“It’s getting on my nerves,” he said. “I sat with (matchmaker) Sean Shelby and we had to go through the whole list and he had to tell me why and I felt like I was sitting there begging. I’m good, man. If they want a fight, they can come call me. I’m going to be champ sooner or later, but I’m not begging anymore.”

UFC on ESPN+ 32 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+.

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Tim Means starting with the man in the mirror and liking Saturday’s result

Take a look inside Tim Means’ win over Laureano Staropoli at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] beat Laureano Staropoli with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Means, who got back in the win column and has alternated victories and defeats over his past six bouts.

Result: Tim Means def. Laureano Staropoli via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Means (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC), Staropoli (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Means outstruck Staropoli 126-81 and landed a pair of takedowns.

Means on the fight’s key moment

“We saw everything in practice. Some of those spinning attacks were a little bit quicker, so I kind of waited out the first round, waited for the second round, let him get dog-tired, kept mixing the body locks, the takedowns. (I) started trying to wear him down. I could hear him slowly breathing. We were working on head kicks. I think I dropped him with a head kick in the second round. I wanted to jump on him a little bit quicker, but it just shows the durability of guys in this weight class and in the UFC. And this guy in particular – tough as nails. There is not an easy fight in this league.”

Means on his perseverance as a fighter

“I can look myself in the mirror and tell myself the truth right out of the gate: I’m not a quitter. I might do some stupid things along the way and own what I do wrong – earn my reputation, earn my way. But I don’t quit. And that’s what we were stating out there today: We don’t quit.”

Means on what he wants next

“I have some cheesecake waiting for me back at the hotel now. I’m going to throw down on that, talk to the coaches and I imagine I’ll get a call soon. I also have to get back and talk to the doctor about the hardware I have in my ankle from when I broke my leg last year – get some screws removed, and on to the next fight.”

To hear more from Means, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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Kevin Holland compares knockout to Sean O’Malley in ‘dope’ fight with Buckley

Take a look inside Kevin Holland’s knockout win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Holland beat Joaquin Buckley with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Holland, who won for the second straight time by knockout.

Result: Kevin Holland def. Joaquin Buckley via TKO (punch) – Round 3, 0:32
Updated records: Holland (18-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Joaquin Buckley (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Holland has 15 of his 18 career wins by stoppage.

Holland on the fight’s key moment

“That was like ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley type stuff right there. That was pretty cool. I didn’t know (the knockout) was that clean. I thought it was kind of sloppy. That was pretty decent. I didn’t know it was that decent.”

Holland on the in-fight trash talk

“Any victory is a great feeling, but overall I’ve been saying, ‘Let’s go, Bucko,’ for a while. I didn’t think Buckley was coming to fight like that and he came to fight. Mad props to him for stepping up. Mad props to him for bringing the fight. Honestly, I have to sit back and really think about it, but I think that was one of the most fun fights I’ve ever been in – the back-and-forths, the smack talking. It was almost like a street affair with some cardio. That was dope.”

Holland on what he wants next

“Put me in there as much as I can until I hit 30. Then I’m going to slow down a little bit. But I want to have fun, and to me, there’s no better job than fighting. Every time they call me, I’ll take the fight.”

To hear more from Holland, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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Andrew Sanchez not ready to call people out – but says he will soon

Take a look inside Andrew Sanchez’s knockout of Wellington Turman at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – Andrew Sanchez beat Wellington Turman with a first-round knockout Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Sanchez, who got back in the win column after a decision loss to Marvin Vettori in October 2019.

Result: Andrew Sanchez def. Wellington Turman via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:14
Updated records: Sanchez (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Turman (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stat: It was five years and a day since Sanchez’s previous stoppage win in an official fight – at RFA 28 before he was on Season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Sanchez on the fight’s key moment

“He came out hard. He threw a front kick that hit me right in the chin – hit me with something that kind of buzzed me a bit. He was throwing big and he was missing big. He started slowing down. I started jumping the 1-2s I’ve been working on nonstop since getting up to Tristar. I rocked him a couple of times and one of them just laid him out flat. For a decision machine like myself, it feels good to get a finish.”

Sanchez on his improvements

“My confidence is back and it’s higher than ever. I can do everything. I was just pumping out decisions, close fights. Ever since I lost that close fight to Anthony Smith, I was like, ‘I really can’t just rely on my wrestling for every fight – someone is going to stop it.’ I worked endlessly, diligently, on my striking – became obsessed with it. I took a bit of a dive. I was lost, trying to figure out my style – kind of lost my identity, and you saw it in my last fight. I was doing a lot of guard, I was learning bit by bit, and I feel like it all melted together now. I think now is when I make my run. Now is the real beginning.”

Sanchez on what he wants next

“Now my confidence – I got a KO. Let me drop another guy and get another finish, and then I’m going to start calling people out. I’m only thinking about what’s right in front of me. So I don’t have a name. Sorry, UFC. … I’ll be calling people out soon. I feel a tear coming on.”

To hear more from Sanchez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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Running on the hamster wheel? No thanks, Gavin Tucker says

Take a look inside Gavin Tucker’s submission of Justin Jaynes at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] beat Justin Jaynes with a third-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Tucker, who was fighting for the first time in more than a year. He picked up his second straight third-round rear-naked choke finish.

Result: Gavin Tucker def. Justin Jaynes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:43
Updated records: Tucker (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Jaynes (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Despite being in trouble early, Tucker outstruck Jaynes 91-33.

Tucker on the fight’s key moment

“Getting tested is a part of this. I think that only accelerates me in the end. All the stuff you work through just shows I’m full of grit. I’m there until the fight is over. I wasn’t going anywhere through any of those things. I got tested on both ends and worked my way through it.”

Tucker on working through adversity

“He was throwing 150 percent on everything, so you had to be super careful with this guy and I got a little loose with my hands, as I have had a tendency to do in the past, and paid the price. When I came in the second, I said, ‘OK, no more looseness. Stay tight. Get back to this sharp kickboxing and get back on track.’ And that’s good. When you get tested like that and you can come back, it makes you confident in yourself. I got tested in both ends, fought through it, came back, got a big win, got a finish and showed my grit and my abilities a little bit more. I’m actually happy with everything that just happened. It was a good experience.”

Tucker on what he wants next

“I’d like to continue the momentum. I’ve tried to rush it, back-to-back fights in the past, and it turns into a bad thing for me because you end up breaking down. I would like to get three fights a year. I think that’s a reasonable amount. I tried to do four and five fights a year and I ended up missing a year because I just pushed myself back into the trench. So I’m going to make the attempt. I don’t want to jinx it. I’m healthy and I’m going to stay healthy. I feel completely fine to fight soon again, so I would like to get back on track as soon as possible without putting myself in a place where I’m going to fall into old habits and do the same things. You have to learn from these mistakes or else you are just running in the hamster wheel and I don’t want to do that.”

To hear more from Tucker, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means leads $162,000 payout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,763,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,767,500

Derrick Lewis eyes No. 1 contender fight after UFC on ESPN+ 32 win, wants to cut 15-20 pounds

Derrick Lewis has three names in mind for his next fight.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] was pleased with his UFC on ESPN+ 32 performance – but he knows there’s still work to do.

Fan favorite Lewis (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) defeated Aleskei Oleinik via second-round TKO on Saturday. During the fight, Lewis landed in vulnerable positions. However, he persevered through the cagey Oleinik’s deepest submission attempts.

“I feel good,” Lewis told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “He fought just like we thought he was going to fight. The submission defense by him holding my neck like that is what we practiced all week – really the last two weeks, the elbow tuck and turn into him. We (saw) him do that bulldog choke. You don’t want to get tapped on your neck like that, so I couldn’t tap.”

If Lewis could change one thing, it’d be the absence of an audience. Lewis said he thought the lack of fans made it more obvious that Oleinik’s choke’s were affecting him.

“I was wishing there were crowds in the stands because I was snorting, making a funny noise while he was choking the hell out of my neck,” Lewis said. “I was like, ‘damn, I’m making too much noise. I wonder if they can hear it on TV.’ So I can’t tap like that. I know my kids watching. They would tease me forever.”

Despite Oleinik’s attempts at a submission, Lewis defended. Fending off the attempts of an outstanding grappler, Lewis said he proved something to the national audience.

“I knew I had it,” Lewis said. “I’m one of the baddest bluebelts in Texas, not only in the world. I probably am the baddest blue belt in the world. Right Joe? I ain’t even got to strike tonight, so we’ll see. Keep up underestimating.”

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When MMA Junkie asked what’s next for Blaydes, he gave three options – none of which were a fight for the championship currently held by Stipe Miocic. Before he faces any of his self-proposed opponents, however, Lewis wants to lose weight.

“Curtis Blaydes makes sense,” Lewis said. “(Francis) Ngnannou makes sense. (Alistair) Overeem makes sense. That’s about it. We’ll see what happens next week and see who makes sense after that match. I for sure have to get down 15-20 pounds to feel comfortable in there. Yep, then you’ll really see something scary out of me, for sure.”

UFC on ESPN+32 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+.

Check out Derrick Lewis’ full post-fight news conference in the video above.

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Renewed Chris Weidman ready to get back at it after UFC on ESPN+ 32 win

Chris Weidman’s not afraid to admit what Saturday night’s fight meant for him after a prolonged tough stretch.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] has always been one of the most no-nonsense people involved in the sport of mixed martial arts, so it should come as no surprise that he’s not downplaying what his victory over Omari Akhmedov on Saturday night meant for his career.

“This is huge for me, man,” Weidman told reports, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN+ 32 post-fight news conference. “I think this was a big moment for me to come back to the middleweight division to go against a guy who is very tough, and to come out with a hard-fought victory. I think that puts me right back into the middleweight division where I want to be.”

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If you pay even casual attention to the UFC, you know what Weidman’s been through in recent times. The former UFC middleweight champion lost five of six bouts over the past five years, with all of the losses coming inside the distance.

And while many wrote Weidman off, he pressed onward. His unanimous decision victory over Akhmedov might not have been the most technically crisp fight you’ll ever see, and he knew it. But he dug down deep in the third round to seal the decision and get his hand raised.

According to Weidman, this was a matter of never losing the mentality which made him champion in the first place.

“I’ve been through so much damn adversity and had so much critique on me, from being the undefeated world champion to never really feeling like I was getting the love or respect I deserved when I was on top,” Weidman said. “And then finally getting knocked down and then everybody trying to kick me when I was down. To overcome that is a championship mindset and a big part of my pushing though and continuing to do what I do is to help inspire other people. Life isn’t going to turn out the way you want all the time.”

With that, Weidman finds himself at 2-1 in his last three middleweight matchups, and he wants to capitalize and build a little momentum from here – preferably sooner rather than later.

“I’m ready to move pretty damn quick here,” he said. “I’m healthy. I’m ready to make a statement. I feel like I’m renewed and I’ve got a fresh start here.”

UFC on ESPN+32 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+.

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