After another amazing pay-per-view event last weekend, the UFC is set to return to Las Vegas this Saturday for another Fight Night. Some talented contenders in the most exciting divisions will step into the octagon at the UFC APEX with big opportunities in front of them.
Two ranked heavyweights will clash in a main event that could potentially vault the winner into the title picture and give the fans something to get them on their feet. Plus, exciting contenders in the heavyweight and light heavyweight will meet for a chance to crack the rankings.
Heavyweight bout: Chase Sherman vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta
A UFC veteran, Sherman has faced off against some tough heavyweights in his six bouts in the octagon. Unfortunately for Sherman, his record in those fights is just 2-4. He did however, stop a four-fight losing streak his last time out with a TKO victory over Jared Vanderaa. With 15 of his 16 career wins coming by knockout, Sherman is a heavy-handed striker, with the ability to end any fight in a blink. He just needs to put it all together.
Sherman will be the underdog in this bout though as Acosta comes in with a perfect 8-0 record. The 31-year-old won his UFC debut back in October and will look to remain perfect in his second outing. With four knockouts on his record, Acosta can certainly win in the striking game, but he also has a submission win via kimura under his belt. Should this fight go to the ground, he figures to have the grappling advantage. It will be interesting to see if either fighter tries to take this fight to the ground.
Light heavyweight bout: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ion Cutelaba
The light heavyweight division is one of the most open in the UFC, which mean Nzechukwu has a big opportunity to leap up the rankings. With a 10-3 record and seven wins by knockout, he already has an impressive resume. The one thing he hasn’t been able to do is build any momentum since joining the UFC. He snapped a losing streak his last time out and now will look to capitalize on a big opportunity against a well-established opponent.
Cutelaba is also on the wrong side of momentum, losing his last two and four of his last six. Still, the 28-year-old is dangerous, with 12 of his 16 career wins coming by knockout while also scoring two submissions along the way. A win here would be a good push in the right direction for a guy who is far too talented to lose three in a row. That is on the table here though and Cutelaba’s back is against the wall in this co-main event.
Heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac
The heavyweight division is very top heavy right now, with a handful of guys atop the division who seem to be in another class. Just below them though, are a number of talented contenders who are either falling out of that top tier or looking to climb into it.
Unfortunately for Lewis, he falls into the former. After being one of the most feared contenders in the division for a long time, Lewis has lost three of four to some of those top guys, all of them by knockout. And knockout is a common result for Lewis, whether it be a win or a loss. None of his fights have gone the distance since 2020, which means his last six results has been knockouts. Lewis is in desperate need of a win here and he still has the punching power of anyone in the sport.
Spivak is equally as dangerous, though not quite in the same way. Yes, he can knock anyone out on the feet, with seven wins of that sort under his belt. The real danger with Spivak though comes in the grappling game. The 12th-ranked heavyweight contender has six wins by submission, including an arm triangle of top contender Tai Tuivasa. If Spivak gets a hold of his opponent, they don’t have long before they’re getting put on their back and the fight is coming to an end. Whether or not that will be his gameplan here or if he will be willing to trade punches with Lewis remains to be seen.
UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill will be held Saturday, November 19 at 4 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.