After the flyweights headlined a wildly entertaining pay-per-view card last weekend, it’s time for the heavyweights to step into the spotlight. The octagon will return to St. Louis this weekend for UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento on ESPN.
With the UFC’s heavyweight division currently being one of the most open in terms of room to move up the ranks, two of the guys clinging to their top 15 spots will look to make a statement and their case to climb. Plus, 11th-ranked fighters in both the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions will face off with unranked opponents with their place in the rankings on the line.
Light Heavyweight bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
You know the light heavyweight division is loaded when a guy like Alonzo Menifield can’t quite crack the top 10. Menifield comes into this bout with a 15-3-1 record and 10 knockouts. The 36-year-old has dynamite in his hands but he has also proven to be a dangerous grappler, racking up submission victories, including one over Jimmy Crute. Still, it’s a safe bet he’s going to look to strike and score another highlight reel knockout.
Across the octagon, Carlos Ulberg will be looking to secure himself a spot in the top 15 in the class. He comes into this matchup with a 9-1 record and six knockouts, including three in a row prior to scoring his first submission victory in his most recent outing. He’s also riding a five-fight winning streak and hasn’t lost since his UFC debut in 2021. And yet, he hasn’t been able to crack the rankings. This is his chance though as he will be seeing a significant leap in competition by stepping into the octagon with Menifield. This should be a standup war that will likely end with some fireworks.
Welterweight bout: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
Joaquin Buckley has been hot as of late, winning three in a row, including a knockout victory over Vicente Luque in March. That win brought Buckley’s record to 18-6 with 13 knockouts and bumped him up to the 11th spot in the welterweight rankings. A talented striker, Buckley can stand with anyone in this division. However, he has also been knocked out a handful of times so he needs to stay measured in his attack.
That is especially true against Nursulton Ruziboev, who has knocked out his last two opponents and finished each of his last 10. The well-seasoned veteran comes into this bout with a 34-8-2 record and, believe it or not, he is the same age as Buckley. Ruziboev has proven he can finish his opponents in a lot of different ways, but make no mistake, this guys is a submission specialist. He has racked up an incredible 20 submissions wins in his career. However, since joining the UFC last year, all he has done is knockout his first two opponents. Still, it seems unlikely he is going to want to stand with Buckley, so expect Ruziboev to try and get this fight to the floor.
Heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
With Jon Jones still not scheduled to defend the heavyweight title and Tom Aspinall currently holding an interim belt, the heavyweight division offers a lot of opportunity to move up the ranks and maybe even get a title shot. The two guys in this main event are going to be looking to do exactly that. However, the loser could be heading for a top 15 exit.
It’s not every day you get to see the fighter with the most knockouts in UFC history. Derrick Lewis has accrued 14 over the course of his career and you can bet he’s going to look to make that 15 in this main event. Lewis sports a 27-12 record with 22 knockouts (eight of them coming outside of the UFC). He has seen some struggles as of late however, dropping five of his last seven. The former title challenger seems to have drifted into the role of the heavyweight gatekeeper, serving as a test for up-and-coming contenders to see if they really belong at the top of the class. It’s certainly not where Lewis wants to be as he has proven he can hang with the best in the world himself. And the fans can also be assured they are going to be entertained, one way or another, when watching a Derrick Lewis fight.
The next up-and-coming contender to step into the octagon with Lewis, Rodrigo Nascimento sports an 11-1 record with six submissions. They say styles make fights, and one great way to beat Derrick Lewis is to grapple him. You can bet that will be Nascimento’s gameplan here as he has already submitted opponents via triangle choke, kimura, armbar and a number of other submissions. That is where he figures to have the clear advantage, however this is a clear leap in competition for him and it will be interesting to see if he properly respects the power of Lewis.
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento will be held Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN.