In the Clinch: Lewis & Spivac Just Want to Win, UFC Vegas 65 – It’s been a tough year for Derrick Lewis but he’s looking forward to ending the year with a bang at UFC Vegas 65 Saturday at the Apex.
Lewis (26-10-0, 1NC), 37, has been stopped in two of his last three contests. He is now ranked No. 7 in the division. Speaking playfully as usual to reporters on media day, he admitted the losses were frustrating. He wanted to get back into the octagon. The opponent really didn’t matter to him, although he knows at 37 years old, he is in the twilight of his career.
Serghei Spivac didn’t seem to care about the legend of Derrick Lewis either.
Sure, Spivac (15-3-0), 27, acknowledged the skills of “The Black Beast,” but “The Polar Bear” stuck to the script of getting the win. Ranked No. 12 in the division and streaking with five wins in his last six bouts, he knows a big win moves him close to the upper echelon. His colleague Ion Cutelaba is in the co-main event, and while he hopes he wins his fight against Kennedy Nzechukwu, he’s not particularly interested.
Alrighty then, Serghei.
In a sense, both fighters are at a crossroad. Lewis is more of a gatekeeper right now, someone that up and comers like Spivac need to go through to enter the top 5. Obviously, Lewis feels he can be more than that.
Spivac has been in the UFC just over three years and is finally getting big name fights. To continue moving forward towards the title shot conversation, he knows he needs to keep getting his hand raised.
Spivac may use his grappling to take some of the starch out of Lewis, but expect Derrick to counter with some grappling of his own.
At the end of the day, somebody is going down. That’s how it should be when you match up “The Black Beast” and “The Polar Bear.”
In the Clinch: Lewis & Spivac Just Want to Win, UFC Vegas 65 – More Resources
Derrick Lewis
Serghei Spivac
In the Clinch: Lewis & Spivac Just Want to Win, UFC Vegas 65 – Image Gallery
Derrick Lewis
Serghei Spivac
- In the Clinch: All Eyes On Pereira & Hill at Historic UFC 300 - April 12, 2024
- In the Clinch: Curtis Excited to Jump in the Rankings, UFC Vegas 90 - April 5, 2024
- In the Clinch: Blanchfield, Fiorot Expecting Title Shot After UFC on ESPN 54 - March 29, 2024