Derrick Lewis set to face top-15 ranked threat in UFC St. Louis headliner

Derrick Lewis will once again enter the octagon six months after stepping in on short notice against Jailton Almeida, this time facing another opponent known for their grappling skills.

According to journalist Marcel Dorff’s initial report, Lewis is set to headline the May 11 Fight Night event against no. 15-ranked contender Rodrigo Nascimento. The UFC has announced that the event will take place in St. Louis, Missouri, making it the organization’s first event in the state since UFC Kansas City in April 2023, where Max Holloway and Arnold Allen were the headliners.

Despite being 39 years old, Lewis has only managed to secure one victory in his past four fights. This win was a quick 33-second flying knee knockout of Marcos Rogerio de Lima during UFC 291. Following his interim heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane in 2021, ‘The Black Beast’ has struggled with a record of 2-4, with three of those losses coming by way of finish.

Nascimento has a current record of 4-1 with one no-contest in the UFC and is currently on a three-fight winning streak. His most recent victory was against Don’Tale Mayes on the main card of the UFC São Paulo event, which was headlined by Lewis and Almeida. However, Nascimento has yet to face an opponent ranked in the UFC.

At the age of 31, Nascimento holds a professional record of 11-1 with one no-contest. He is set to make his debut as the main event fighter in the UFC. In contrast, Lewis will be participating in his 12th main event and his third in the last four fights.

Derrick Lewis’ Next Opponent: Who Will He Face in His Next UFC Fight?

Despite only having four official wins in the UFC, Rodrigo Nascimento has managed to secure a ranking in the shallow heavyweight division. He is now set to face Derrick Lewis in a five-round main event fight.

Upon his arrival to the UFC in 2020, Nascimento showcased his skills with a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. He has a record of 11 professional wins, with six of them being submissions. This includes a win against Don’Tale Mayes in his debut Octagon appearance. Although he experienced his first loss to Chris Daukaus in his next fight, ‘Ze Colmeia’ bounced back with a TKO win over Alan Baudot. However, this win was later nullified due to a positive drug test.

Nascimento would go on to defeat Tanner Boser and Ilir Latifi in consecutive split decisions before facing Mayes once again, adding another victory to his record and achieving a three-fight winning streak.

As one of the top heavyweight fighters in the UFC, Nascimento has consistently displayed a preference for utilizing his wrestling skills against opponents. This could pose as a difficult style matchup for Lewis. According to UFC stats, Lewis has surrendered a total of 12 takedowns in his previous two defeats.