Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Top 10 contenders take center stage as power-punching funnyman Derrick Lewis (No. 4) and heavyweight submission specialist Alexey Oleinik (No. 10) go to war in this weekend’s UFC Vegas 6 main event, locked and loaded for Sat., Aug. 8, 2020 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lewis (23-7, 1 NC) is perhaps best known for his lights-out finishes, like the come-from-behind miracle he scored against Alexander Volkov. But Oleinik (59-13-1) is not expecting “Black Beast” to perform like a one-dimensional slugger on fight night, which is why the “Boa Constrictor” is treating their titanic tilt more like a chess match.
“Of course you don’t know my game plan, and I hope Derrick won’t too,” Oleinik told Cageside Press. “Because if he knows about my game plan, it’s terrible difficulty. This is like chess. You must always [take] different steps. He’s explosive, he’s smart. He’s stayed in tough fights many, many times. This is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.”
Winner of two straight, Lewis was last seen defeating Ilir Latifi at UFC 247 this past February in Houston, Texas. A few days after that bout, “Black Beast” revealed that a potentially serious health issue could delay his combat sports run. Fortunately, everything came back aces in the follow-up exams, paving the way for Lewis to resume his MMA career.
Oleinik, meanwhile, has also won two in a row and was most recently seen edging out former 265-pound champion, Fabricio Werdum, via split decision at UFC 249 last May. Prior to that, “Boa Constrictor” submitted Maurice Greene at UFC 246 via armbar.
Expect the winner to be added to a very short list of heavyweight title contenders.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 6 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.
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