UFC 244 Predictions

We've got an interesting heavyweight battle on this card as fan-favourite Derrick Lewis takes on well-rounded Bulgarian bruiser, Blagoy Ivanov. Although the UFC are trying to see which one of these men can move up the rankings, let's face it, they put these two together because it's guaranteed violence.

Now, the last time we thought we'd see Lewis in a fight like that, he fought Francis Ngannou. Instead of being the knockdown, drag-out brawl we expected, it turned out to be one of the worst fights of all time. However, it's hard to see how either Ivanov or Lewis will be gun shy during this bout, meaning we could see a very early finish.

Ivanov is definitely the more well-rounded fighter. He's got good striking and is far more of a submission threat than Lewis. However, he's quite slow and plodding, especially when he's tired. While Lewis isn't exactly a cardio machine himself, he does have great athleticism, specifically when it comes to being explosive.

You should expect Lewis to be able to combine that explosiveness with his outrageous punching power and finish this fight early on. If not, we could be on for a rather slow paced battle of attrition.

Derrick Lewis via KO.