UFC Las Vegas 68 saw a pivotal moment in the heavyweight division of mixed martial arts (MMA) as Sergey Spivak defeated Derrick Lewis in the first round by submission at the 3min 05 seconds mark. This fight underscores the growing trend of the heavyweight division towards a more technical and skilled approach in MMA.
In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that fighters need to have both raw power and technical abilities to succeed in the division. This was demonstrated in the 2018 fight between Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic at UFC 220, where Miocic’s wrestling skills proved too much for Ngannou’s raw power.
However, Ngannou has since worked on his wrestling skills and rounded out his abilities as a fighter, eventually earning the heavyweight title at UFC 260 with a second-round TKO victory over Miocic.
Lewis, who was once in the top three of the division, came into the fight throwing big right hands, but was unable to land a significant strike. Instead, Spivak’s technical ability proved too much for Lewis, as he was consistently able to trip him and get him back to the ground. In the end, Lewis gave up an arm triangle, solidifying Spivak’s win.
Spivak’s win has earned him calls for a top five fight, but some analysts believe he needs another win before he can face the top five. Potential opponents for Spivak include Curtis Blades or Stipe Miocic. Lewis could face Alexander Volkov or Alexander Romanov in his next fight.
This fight has shown that power alone is no longer enough to succeed in the heavyweight division. As the division evolves, it is becoming increasingly important for fighters to have technical skills, in addition to raw power. The older heavyweights still respected Lewis’ power, but younger fighters like Spivak have no fear of it.
For Lewis, a rematch with Alexander Volkov or a bout against Alexander Romanov could be on the horizon, as Lewis tries to regain his footing in the division. The heavyweight division of MMA is evolving, and it will be interesting to see how fighters adapt to the new reality of needing both power and technical skill to succeed.
