UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis betting odds, preview, and pick

Curtis Blaydes is the best grappler in the heavyweight division, and Derrick Lewis is one of its premier strikers. These two face off with title implications on the line on Saturday, Feb. 20 at UFC Fight Night, and we have the betting odds and preview you need before the first blow is delivered.

Blaydes is on a roll

Blaydes is looking to thin the herd by taking out another big player in the division. In his last fight, Blaydes put on a wrestling clinic as he dominated Alexander Volkov.

The mat specialist has won his last four fights since losing to Francis Ngannou, and he’s looked every bit as monstrous as his high spot in the rankings suggests. Blaydes’ dominance has resulted in him being the prohibitive favorite in this bout.

With an extremely strong takedown game, excellent conditioning, and respectable stand-up, Blaydes is as complete of a fighter in the division. Though he does his best work when he wrestles his opponents to the mat, Blaydes’ power is nothing to scoff at.

Of course, once he does get his opponents down, he makes their lives a living hell. He’s one of the most vicious ground-and-pound fighters in the division, and the rest of his game serves to complement his excellent talent.

Lewis’ defense is suspect

Lewis is a one-dimensional striker, but he hits like a train. There really is nothing else that Lewis has going for him here, but having such explosive power ensures that he’s a live dog as long as the clock is ticking.

While Lewis can overpower Blaydes, his defensive deficiencies might get him in trouble. Unless Lewis can land something bad early, he’s going to be in for a long night.

To say Lewis has a hard time against takedowns would be an understatement. His ground defense is so bad that it is a liability. In the past, fighters who have taken him to the ground have more often than not stopped him.

Blaydes will win via ground-and-pound

Blaydes’ wrestling is the best in the division, and he’s an excellent finisher when he gets his man on the ground. Simply put, Blaydes can finish Lewis from the moment he takes him down.

It’s very hard to imagine any outcome aside from Blaydes winning via ground and pound. Blaydes on the moneyline is a safe pick, but the call here is that he’ll stop Lewis anytime beyond the third round.

MMA pick: Blaydes