UFC Fight Night Betting Preview: Lewis vs. Daukaus

The main event features two heavy punchers. Derrick Lewis is the preeminent knockout artist in the UFC, and Chris Daukaus is the new kid on the block who has rattled off four straight knockouts to start his career in the promotion. Lewis’ 12 knockouts are the most by any heavyweight in the UFC ever. However, he’s coming off a third-round loss to the undefeated Ciryl Gane, while Daukaus has won five in a row, including his first four UFC fights.

Both men are listed at six feet three inches tall, but Lewis has a three-inch reach advantage. In addition, Lewis will enter the cage at least 30 pounds heavier than Daukaus.

There are no surprises in a Lewis fight. He’s looking to land a big right hand and put his opponent to sleep. Lewis might have the most one-hit knockout power of anyone that’s ever stepped into the octagon. He has virtually no ground game, and his takedown defense consists of simply getting up, but his power makes up for it all. Daukaus has a different kind of power behind his punches. He is quicker with his hands and throws a lot of straight strikes. Daukaus is a good boxer and measures many of his shots, but he will have a power disadvantage against Lewis.

Daukaus hasn’t had to show much grappling in the UFC but does possess more takedown ability than Lewis. However, wrestling and jiu-jitsu will not play much of a factor in this fight. The match will come down to Daukaus’s ability to strike on the outside and Lewis’s ability to land a big punch. Even if this fight goes into deep waters, Lewis has shown an ability to maintain his knockout power well into the third round. 

Lewis also possesses a solid chin. He’s spent time in the cage with some of the sport’s heaviest punchers, and you can count on one hand the number of times he’s been hurt. Daukaus’s chin is still somewhat of an unknown. The actual test will be his reaction to that first strong right hand that lands.

Daukaus is the shiny new thing in the UFC, but Lewis has been tested against UFC caliber heavyweights for seven and half years. Daukaus will enter the cage as the favorite with a line of -134, but we think Lewis is being unfairly overlooked. 

The Bets: Derrick Lewis by KO/TKO (+160), Derrick Lewis KO/TKO & Round 2 (+1000), How Will the Fight End: KO/TKO (-300)

All UFC predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid

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