Heavyweight contenders Francis Ngannou (11-2, 7 KOs, 4 SUBs) and Derrick Lewis (19-5, 17 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet at UFC 226 on July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
The heavyweight division’s most prolific knockout artists will meet this Saturday when Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis square off on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 226. In one corner, you have the chiseled Ngannou, who possesses the body, speed and power of a greek god. In Lewis, you’ve got a hefty dude who looks like he should be bouncing at the local bar. That makes him no less dangerous, as it only takes one swing from “The Black Beast” to put guys on ice.
The best part about this matchup, for casual fans anyway, is that both men are making no qualms about getting into an MMA bout. Each believe that they’re the better, stronger puncher, and they’ll be bout to prove it. That’s what they’ve been saying in the buildup anyway - fights don’t always end up the way you expect them to.
You’re going to have to be very careful when betting on fights this explosive. The heavyweight division is always a perilous weight class to play in, when every guy has the power to end the fight. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Derrick Lewis +290
Francis Ngannou -385
Fight goes/doesn’t go the distance: +300 / -420
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed p/m: Ngannou 2.12 / Lewis 3.11
Accuracy: Ngannou 36.21% / Lewis 51.97%
Significant strikes absorbed p/m: Ngannou 2.14 / Lewis 1.73
Defense: Ngannou 42.7% / Lewis 48.17%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Ngannou 0 / Lewis 0.65
Takedown accuracy: Ngannou 0 / Lewis 29.41%
Takedowns defended: Ngannou 66.67% / Lewis 57.41%
Submission average: Ngannou 0.6 / Lewis 0
Matchup Breakdown
Who gasses first? Will the fight even go long enough for that to matter? Those are the two big questions going into this matchup. Both Ngannou and Lewis have had major issues with their cardio lately, to the point where you kind of just expect them to stand around with their hands on their hips by the end of the third. In Ngannou’s case, after blowing his load against Stipe Mioicic in the first round, he somehow made it through four more rounds visibly exhausted. As for Lewis, we can’t think of a fight where he wasn’t huffing and puffing after a few hard frames.
Physically, Ngannou really has no comparison. If fights were won by the eyeball test, Ngannou would already be the champion of the universe. The man is ripped like a comic book character and has unreal speed and power. At 6’4” and topping the scales at 260 pounds, his athleticism and explosiveness alone was enough to tear through the division and land a title shot.
However, “The Predator” was exposed by Miocic, who survived the initial onslaught and used his wrestling to break down the 31-year old. While Lewis doesn’t have nearly the same grappling skill, he’s demonstrated a keen ability to survive under heavy fire. Lewis might look hurt and tired, but he’s still a dangerous wounded animal in that position, as Travis Browne found out.
These dudes are gonna bang. Somebody’s gonna drop. Knowing that, how should you bet this scrap?
UFC Odds Pick: Lewis to win at +290
The money line is too good to pass up here. Lewis might not have the type of well-rounded offense to systematically pick Ngannou apart, but he definitely has the heart and the chin to get into a war of attrition. If it gets to the third round, that’s a coin flip fight. We’ll take the huge ‘dog in that scenario every time.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 226 takes place on July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
