Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac

Twelve weeks after they were originally scheduled to face off, veteran Derrick Lewis and surging Serghei Spivac clash in the heavyweight main event showdown.

Riding a two-fight losing streak and with just a single victory in his last four, Lewis returns to Las Vegas looking to tap into the fantastic form he’s always shown in “The Fight Capital” over the course of his UFC career. A perfect 8-0 when competing in Las Vegas, the former title threat has finished each of his last four Las Vegas assignments and will look to do the same on Saturday.

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Spivac makes his sixth consecutive start in Las Vegas, which he now calls home, this weekend, looking to build on a two-fight winning streak. Last time out, the streaking hopeful from Moldova collected a second-round stoppage win over Augusto Sakai, and if he can extend his record to 6-1 over his last seven by toppling Lewis this weekend, the division could have a new dark horse to keep tabs on.

While he’s struggled as of late, it’s important to note Lewis’ losses have come against fighters at the top of the division, a caliber of opponent Spivac has yet to encounter. If he gets by “The Black Beast” on Saturday, however, he could find himself standing opposite one of those competitors later in the year.

Da-un Jung vs. Devin Clark

In the co-main event, veteran light heavyweights Da-un Jung and Devin Clark look to start their year by getting back into the win column.

For the first time in his UFC run, Jung enters the Octagon coming off a loss. After going 4-0-1 in his first five appearances, the South Korean got into a slugfest with Dustin Jacoby on Long Island last summer, getting halted a little over three minutes into the opening round.

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Clark was stopped last time out, as well, falling to unbeaten Russian veteran Azamat Murzakanov in August. He’d out-hustled William Knight in a heavyweight encounter prior to that and carries a 7-7 UFC record into this showdown with Jung on Saturday.

This should line up as an interesting clash of styles, with Jung looking to keep things standing and at range, and Clark eager to close the distance and use his grappling skills. Whoever can successfully dictate the terms of engagement should leave Las Vegas with a victory in hand.

Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov

The evening’s other heavyweight battle features Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov sharing the cage in a clash of European veterans.

Tybura enters on the best run of his UFC career. Last time out, he halted the undefeated ascent of Alexandr Romanov by out-grappling “King Kong,” pushing his record to 6-1 over his last seven appearances.

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The 36-year-old Ivanov halted a two-fight slide in his most recent showing, turning aside Marcos Rogerio de Lima in May to advance to 19-4 with one no contest overall. Like Tybura, Ivanov is durable and experienced, going the distance in all six of his UFC assignments.

Both men thrive in the clinch, so this one is likely to be contested in close quarters along the fence, with each man looking to wear down the other and chip away with short shots in close. With the heavyweight division on the cusp of a change at the top, these two rankings stalwarts are battling to solidify their place in the hierarchy and secure the opportunity to face an ascending name next time out.

Dooho Choi vs. Kyle Nelson

Business shifts to the featherweight division as Dooho Choi faces off with Kyle Nelson in a clash of veterans looking to put a couple years of struggles behind them in 2023.

“The Korean Superboy” is now 31 years old, and Saturday marks his first appearance in three years. The dynamic power puncher enters on a three-fight losing streak, which began with his Hall of Fame clash with Cub Swanson and culminated with a second-round stoppage loss to Charles Jourdain at home in Busan in the final event of 2019.

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Nelson went 12-1 on the regional circuit to earn a call to compete on the biggest stage in the sport. Since landing in the UFC, “The Monster” has gone 1-4, sandwiching a technical knockout victory over Polo Reyes between two pairs of losses. Last time out, the Canadian dropped a unanimous decision to Jai Herbert in London.

Choi has a penchant for starting quickly and brandishing big power, while Nelson will likely look to slow things down, and tax the gas tank of the returning South Korean to see how his body holds up after a three-year layoff.

Yusaku Kinoshita vs. Adam Fugitt

In the main card opener, Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate Yusaku Kinoshita makes his promotional debut against Pacific Northwest sophomore Adam Fugitt.

The 22-year-old Kinoshita impressed on the final August event, stopping previously unbeaten Jose Henrique in the third round. Sporting a 6-1 record overall with six stoppage victories following an unbeaten amateur career that included five finishes, the Japanese prospect starts his UFC career as one to keep close tabs on in the welterweight division.

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Fugitt gave a solid accounting of himself in his short-notice debut opposite Michael Morales last summer at UFC 277, taking the undefeated Entram Gym representative into the third round. He earned a quick finish over Solomon Renfro at LFA 125 before that and profiles as the perfect first test for Kinoshita as he arrives in the Octagon for the first time.

Will the youngest secure a victory in his promotional debut or can Fugitt turn him aside and garner a win for himself?

Jeka Saragih vs. Anshul Jubli

Flashy Indonesian Jeka Saragih and confident Indian talent Anshul Jubli face off in the finals of the Road to UFC lightweight tournament.

A born showman, Saragih made it to the final pairing with highlight reel wins over Pawan Maan and Won Bin Ki, flashing devastating fight-ending power. Now 13-2 overall and riding a five-fight winning streak into this one, the 28-year-old has never seen the scorecards, and will be looking to keep that streak alive here.

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Jubli earned a walk-over victory in the opening round of the tournament when his bout with Sao Patrick Usami was cancelled when Usami had weight-cutting issues in June. He returned in October and collected a split decision win over KyungPyo Kim in a competitive, back-and-forth fight, moving to 6-0 overall with the victory.

Saragih has been one of the breakout competitors from the Road series, but Jubli showed strong conditioning and durability in Abu Dhabi. It’ll be interesting to see how much more each man has improved since their last appearance, and who will emerge victorious and earn a UFC contract.

JeongYeong Lee vs. Yi Zha

The flyweight tournament will be won by a South Korean, as SeungGuk Choi and HyunSung Park face off in Saturday’s finale.

Choi, who represents Korean Zombie MMA, posted unanimous decision wins over Rama Supandhi and Qui Lun to push his winning streak to five and earn a place in the final pairing. The 26-year-old is 6-1 as a professional, and has logged considerably more cage time than Choi, having gone to a decision in five of his seven appearances.

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Park’s path through the tournament and overall career has been the opposite of Choi’s thus far. He earned first-round finishes over Jeremy Siregar and Topnoi Kiwram to advance to the finals of the 125-pound tournament and has earned stoppage wins in his last six victories.

Who will keep their winning streak intact and land a place on the UFC roster with a victory on Saturday in Las Vegas?

Ji Yeon Kim vs. Mandy Bohm

Ji Yeon Kim and Mandy Bohm face off in this battle of struggling flyweights eager to get things moving in the right direction again.

Kim earned three wins in her first five UFC appearances, but has been mired in a slump since, entering Saturday’s contest on a four-fight slide. Last time out, she fell on the wrong side of a split decision verdict against Joselyne Edwards, adding to a tailspin that extends all the back to the summer of 2020.

An undefeated 6-0 run landed Bohm the opportunity to compete on the UFC stage but thus far, “Monster” has struggled inside the Octagon. After dropping her debut against Ariane Lipski, the 33-year-old German veteran landed on the wrong side of the scorecards against DWCS grad Victoria Leonardo.

Both women prefer to do their work on the feet, so expect a back-and-forth striking battle for as long as this one lasts.

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