The UFC heads to St. Louis this week with a former heavyweight title challenger in the main event.
Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 56 with big men in the headlining spot, plus welterweight and light heavyweight sluggers on the main card.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC on ESPN 56 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for further broadcast details this week.
Main event: Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC), a two-time heavyweight title challenger, is in the midst of the roughest stretch of his career. The Houston resident has dropped four of his past five, including three straight by stoppage at one point. Still, the 39-year-old remains one of the most popular fighters on the roster and hold the UFC record for career knockouts with 14.
Main event: Rodrigo Nascimento
Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), a 31-year-old from Brazil, is on a different current trajectory than Lewis. After a TKO win over Alan Baudot was overturned nearly two years ago, Nascimento has three straight decisions over Tanner Boser, Ilir Latifi and Don’Tale Mayes. But Lewis will be his biggest test yet.
Co-main event: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
After a lengthy middleweight run, Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) returned to 170 pounds in 2023 and snapped a two-fight skid with a bonus-winning KO of Andre Fialho. He followed that up with a win over Alex Morono for some momentum at welterweight, then took out Vicente Luque just six weeks ago.
Nursulton Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hasn’t lost a fight in more than four years. The Uzbekistan native came to the UFC in 2023 and took out Brunno Ferreira in 77 seconds in his promotional debut for a $50,000 bonus. His follow-up was a first-round dismantling of Sedriques Dumas for his 10th straight win, all of which have been stoppages, and it came just two fights before Buckley’s win over Luque.
Featured bout: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
Alonzo Menifield (15-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) has been on a roll at light heavyweight at 4-0-1 his past five fights. The four wins all came in Las Vegas. The draw was on the road in Australia in a fight in which he was deducted a point.
Carlos Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has five straight wins, four of which have been by stoppage. After a submission of Da-un Jung with just 11 seconds left this past September, he’ll take on his most accomplished opponent yet in Menifield.
UFC on ESPN 56 main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET)
- Derrick Lewis (-150) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (+125)
- Joaquin Buckley (-155) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (+135)
- Alonzo Menifield (+180) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-220)
- Diego Ferreira (+240) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (-300)
- Alex Caceres (+155) vs. Sean Woodson (-185)
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+140) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-165)
UFC on ESPN 56 prelim betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Viacheslav Borshchev (-170) vs. Chase Hooper (+140)
- Terrance McKinney (+155) vs. Esteban Ribovics (-185)
- Tecia Pennington (+110) vs. Tabatha Ricci (-130)
- Billy Goff (+140) vs. Trey Waters (-170)
- Jake Hadley (-175) vs. Charles Johnson (+145)
- Jared Gooden (+195) vs. Kevin Jousset (-240)
- JJ Aldrich (+120) vs. Veronica Hardy (-140)
