Blagoy Ivanov is slightly favored against Derrick Lewis at UFC 244 on Saturday, November 2 in New York City, New York. This event is one of five fights on the main pay-per-view card. Lewis is 21-7 in his career, while Ivanov is 18-2 in his career. There are a total of five fights on the main pay-per-view card at UFC 244, with the headliner a bout between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. There are also a total of seven fights on the preliminary card with four on ESPN2 and three on UFC Fight Pass. Let’s look at the bout between Lewis and Ivanov and UFC picks.
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Derrick Lewis (21-7, 12-5 UFC)
Lewis came into the UFC with a record of 9-2 and he has 12 wins and five losses in the UFC. In his last five fights, he has three wins and two losses. He defeated Marcin Tybura by TKO, Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision, and Alexander Volkov by KO; while losing to Daniel Cormier by rear-naked choke submission and Junior dos Santos by TKO. Lewis has been a pro since 2010 and he has 18 wins by TKO/KO and one by submission. He has seven first round finishes.
Blagoy Ivanov (18-2, 2-1 UFC)
Ivanov came into the UFC with a record of 16-1 and he has two wins and one loss in the UFC. He defeated Ben Rothwell by unanimous decision and Tai Tuivasa by unanimous decision; while losing to Junior dos Santos by unanimous decision. Ivanov has been a pro since 2007 and he has six wins by TKO/KO and six by submission. He has eight first round finishes.
Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Lewis 2.69 / Ivanov 3.56
Striking Accuracy: Lewis 50% / Ivanov 36%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Lewis 2.38/ Ivanov 4.44
Defense: Lewis 44% / Ivanov 56%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Lewis 0.47/ Ivanov 0.55
Takedown Accuracy: Lewis 23% / Ivanov 100%
Takedowns defended: Lewis 53% / Ivanov 100%
Submission average: Lewis 0.0 / Ivanov 0.0
UFC Picks
The question I have to begin with is why is Ivanov favored? Ivanov has two wins in the UFC, but how much credit do you get for wins against Rothwell and Tuivasa? Lewis has dropped his last two fights, but he has excellent knockout power and he is a fan favorite. Ivanov isn’t that athletic and those are the types of fighters that Lewis struggles with. Both Ivanov and Lewis are slow fighters who will be looking to land big shots. In that type of fight, I give the edge to Lewis. This fight will be more of a brawl than anything, with some big shots landed and that should mean a quick knockout. I will take Lewis and also play the rounds to go under the total.
UFC 243 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on Saturday, November 2, with five fights on the main pay-per-view card headlined by Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz and seven preliminary bouts with four on ESPN2 and three on UFC Fight Pass.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Welterweight - Jorge Masvidal -185 vs. Nate Diaz
Middleweight - Kelvin Gastelum -225 vs. Darren Till
Welterweight - Stephen Thompson -125 vs. Vicente Luque
Heavyweight - Blagoy Ivanov -135 vs. Derrick Lewis
Lightweight - Gregor Gillespie -162 vs. Kevin Lee
Preliminary card (ESPN2)
Light Heavyweight - Johnny Walker -150 vs. Corey Anderson
Featherweight - Shane Burgos -250 vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Middleweight - Edmen Shahbazyan -134 vs. Brad Tavares
Heavyweight - Jairzinho Rozenstruik -150 vs. Andrei Arlovski
Early Preliminary card (UFC Fight Pass)
Women's Flyweight - Katlyn Chookagian -160 vs. Jennifer Maia
Welterweight - Lyman Good -135 vs. Chance Rencountre
Featherweight - Hakeem Dawodu -135 vs. Julio Arce
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