UFC heads back across town to the Apex facility in suburban Las Vegas for Saturday Night’s Fight Night 199, pitting Derrick Lewis, the one-time UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger, against Chris Daukaus in a heavyweight bout in the main event. The co-headliner is a welterweight bout featuring Belal Muhammad and Stephen Thompson. The whole evening’s action is available on ESPN+.
We have the full fight card, along with online UFC betting insights on the two main fights.
UFC Fight Night 199: Lewis vs Daukaus Preview
Main Card (ESPN+)
Derrick Lewis vs Chris Daukaus (Heavyweight)
Stephen Thomspon vs Belal Muhammad (Welterweight)
Amanda Lemos vs Angela Hill (Women’s Strawweight)
Raphael Assuncao vs Ricky Simon (Bantamweight)
Carlos Diego Ferrara vs Mateusz Gamrot (Lightweight)
Cub Swanson vs Darren Elkins (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+)
Dustin Stotzfus vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
Raoni Barcelos vs Victor Henry (Bantamweight)
Justin Tafa vs Harry Hunsucker (Heavyweight)
Sijara Eubanks vs Melissa Gatto (Women’s Flyweight)
Charles Jourdan vs Andre Ewell (Featherweight)
Raquel Pennington vs Macy Chiasson (Women’s featherweight)
Don’Tale Mayes vs Josh Parisian (Heavyweight)
Jordan Leavitt vs Matt Sayles (Lightweight)
Derrick Lewis vs Chris Daukaus is Lewis’ first fight since an interim title bout loss to Ciryl Gane, a setback that ended a four-fight winning streak. Lewis now makes his third appearance in 2021 and his fourth consecutive fight in a main event. Of those four fights, none have gone the distance. Daukaus makes his debut in a UFC main event, entering the Octagon for the third time this year as well.
This fight basically represents the old guard in Lewis taking on the new guard in Daukaus, as the UFC Heavyweight division enters a time of transition. If Lewis wins, he remains in the division’s top five, he keeps getting main event slots, and he gets to keep working his way back toward a title fight. If Daukaus wins, he shows that he is ready to fight ranked opponents and possibly get a title eliminator bout in his very next appearance.
Daukaus is 4-0 in UFC, with big wins over Aleksei Oleinik and Shamil Adburakhimov. In his career, he has finished 11 fights by knockout, as his striking game is the strongest part of his arsenal. He is mobile for a heavyweight and uses that to get through the guard of the opposition and land big bombs. Lewis is the most dangerous opponent he has faced to this point.
Lewis is the top ranked heavyweight at this point, and few fighters can match his punching power and his ability fo finish. However, he has come into the Octagon on several occasions either out of shape or looking confused. He still can finish fights with one punch, and Daukaus has two losses outside UFC, both by knockout.
Final Prediction: Lewis wins via knockout : Bet the Game Today
Stephen Thompson vs Belal Muhammad is Muhammad’s attempt to make it seven straight fights without a loss, as he tries to ascend the UFC Welterweight rankings. His latest opponent feasts on fighters who use volume striking and forward pressure, as Muhammad does. Thompson used an elusive approach in his last fight, against Geoff Neal, and he should use a similar approach, wearing down Muhammad by making him chase him.
Thompson’s approach, which involves getting away from damage and wearing down his opponents, is not very common among welterweights. Once he senses some fatigue in his opponent, he starts bringing jabs and kicks, continuing to wear down his opponent until his defense falls, and he can bring the right bombs. So while Muhammad will be a game opponent in the early going, Thompson should be able to slow him down and then take advantage of weaknesses in his defense.
Final Prediction: Thompson wins via TKO : Bet the Game Today
UFC Betting Odds
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