The UFC heavyweight bout between top-ranked contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis has been rescheduled for February 20.
Per Ariel Helwani of ESPN, the heavyweight bout between top contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis has been rescheduled for February 20. The fight is a rebooking of their previously scheduled November 28 match-up that was cancelled the day before due to a positive COVID-19 test for Blaydes.
Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-2, 1NC) is surging toward his first UFC title shot and it will be difficult to deny that he should be fighting for the belt in his next outing should he notch another victory. Blaydes is currently on a four fight win-streak and in 2020 had dominant performances over former champion Junior dos Santos and fellow ranked contender Alexander Volkov. Blaydes has posted an impressive record overall with the majority of his fights having been in the UFC and his only losses coming to incumbent title challenger Francis Ngannou.
Derrick Lewis has seen a resurgence over the last two years after putting together a three fight win-streak that has seen him finish consecutive opponents. A UFC veteran since 2014, Lewis has fought most of the notable names in the division and recorded victories over the likes of Ngannou, Volkov, Aleksei Oleinik, and others. A win for Lewis would put him at the top of the division, likely competing neck-and-neck with Alistair Overeem for the number one contender spot depending on who is more impressive in their respective upcoming matches.
No information on the broadcast plan or location has been revealed regarding the UFC’s February 20 date, although it is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The following bouts have been reported for the card thus far:
Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Danny Chavez vs. Jared Gordon
Aleksei Oleinik vs. Chris Daukaus
Shana Dobson vs. Casey O’Neill
Eddie Wineland vs. John Castaneda
Drakkar Klose vs. Jai Herbert
Charles Rosa vs. Darrick Minner
Michael Trizano vs. Rafael Alves
Sergey Spivak vs. Jared Vanderaa
