Two big men will throw down in the UFC on ESPN 56 main event when heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento meet in the octagon.
Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento preview
It’s been a steep decline for Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) ever since his failed attempt at the UFC interim heavyweight championship. After losing that fight to Ciryl Gane by third-round TKO in August 2021, Lewis, 39, has gone 2-4 and at one point was on a three-fight skid against Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich and Serghei Spivac. Lewis then got back in the win column with a first-round finish of Marcos Rogerio de Lima in 33 seconds, but he’s coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jailton Almeida in a five-round main event last November.
Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is on his best streak since earning a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. The 31-year-old Brazilian is on a three-fight winning streak after claiming back-to-back split decisions against Tanner Boser and Ilir Latifi before most recently beating Don’Tale Mayes for the second time last November.
Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento odds
With fight week upon us, Nascimento is just a slight -145 favorite while Lewis checks in as a tiny +114 underdog, according to DraftKings.
How to watch Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC on ESPN 56
- When: Saturday, May 11, 2024
- Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
- Broadcast/streaming: ESPN/ESPN+
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
