In the main event of UFC Vegas 19, a pivotal heavyweight bout headlined UFC Vegas 19 as Curtis Blaydes took on Derrick Lewis.
In the lead-up to the fight, many thought Blaydes would use his wrestling to control the fight and win a clear-cut decision or get a late stoppage. However, when “Razor” did shoot, Lewis stuffed the takedowns and scored a second-round KO win.
Now, following UFC Vegas 19, here is what we think should be next for Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes.
Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis continues to prove the doubters wrong.
After losing back-to-back fights to Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title and Junior dos Santos, many people counted him out. Since then, however, he has rallied off four straight wins over Blagoy Ivanov, Ilir Latifi, Alexey Oleynik, and now Blaydes. With the win over Blaydes, Lewis could very well be in line for a title shot or a number one contender bout. However, with Jon Jones getting the next title shot, “The Black Beast” wants to remain active.
If Lewis is going to remain active, fighting the winner of Rozenstruik-Gane, yet The Black Beast called for the fight with Alistair Overeem. It doesn’t make sense from a rankings perspective but if Lewis is going to remain active, this is a scrap both men have called for, for years. Lewis vs. Overeem can headline a card this summer and if Lewis wins, he likely will earn a title shot.
Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes is in a very weird spot. There is no question Dana White is not a big fan of him as he criticized his style and Blaydes has been open about fighter pay which White doesn’t like.
Given that Blaydes already wasn’t in the good books of White, it is likely he will need to string together several wins in a row to get close to a title shot. Blaydes will no doubt need time off after the loss. In his next fight, “Razor” should face the winner of Blagoy Ivanov vs Marcin Tybura at UFC 260. It is a good rebound fight for Blaydes to get back into the win column and prove he is still a top heavyweight.
What do you think should be next for Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes after UFC Vegas 19?