Former title challenger, Derrick Lewis is set for his return to the Octagon in the main event of UFC Fight Night St. Louis – taking on the surging number fifteen ranked contender, Rodrigo Nascimento on May 11. from the Enterprise Center in Missouri.
Lewis, the current number twelve ranked heavyweight contender, has been sidelined since he took a short-notice main event fight with Jailton Almeida at UFC Sao Paulo back in November, suffering a one-sided unanimous decision loss to the Brazilian.
As for Nascimento, the former Dana White’s Contender Series product has enjoyed a three-fight winning run of late, wrapping up a decision win over Don’Tale Mayes back in November on the same card as Lewis’ loss to Almeida.
Derrick Lewis fights Rodrigo Nascimento in St. Louis on May 11.
UFC confirmed the main event fight between Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento on their official X account tonight.
“Top 15 heavyweights will duke it out in St. Louis,” UFC posted. “@TheBeast_UFC vs. @Zecolmeiiia is your #UFCStLouis main event!”
Top 15 heavyweights will duke it out in St. Louis
@TheBeast_UFC vs @ZeColmeiiia is your #UFCStLouis main event! pic.twitter.com/NCIWb21V2b
— UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2024
Prior to his loss to Almeida in South America, former undisputed and interim heavyweight title challenger, Lewis had turned in a first round TKO win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima in July of last year, snapping a run of three consecutive stoppage losses to Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich, and Serghei Spivak.
For Nascimento, the 11-1(1) professional, suffered his sole professional loss in a KO defeat to common-foe, Chris Daukaus, which came before a TKO win over Alan Baudot was overturned to an official ‘No Contest’ after the Brazilian tested positive for ritalinic acid.
Landing six submission wins throughout his professional career, during his brief Octagon tenure, Nascimento has turned in two wins over the above-mentioned, Mayes, as well as split judging successes against Tanner Boser, and Ilir Latifi.
Over the course of his Octagon stint, Lewis, the promotion’s most prolific heavyweight knockout artist, has turned in notable victories over the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes, and former undisputed heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou.
Who wins at UFC Fight Night St. Louis: Derrick Lewis or Rodrigo Nascimento?