Derrick Lewis’ trip to Brazil did not go as planned as he came up short in his heavyweight match-up with Jailton Almeida. Lewis will still be swangin’ and bangin’ moving forward, but what comes next for “The Black Beast” and other losing fighters at UFC Sao Paulo?
Derrick Lewis
‘The Black Beast’ could not get anything going in the UFC Sao Paolo main event, a fight he took on short notice, as Brazilian grappling ace Jailton Almeida took him down and controlled him for the majority of every round en route to the largest control time total in UFC heavyweight history. Lewis is now 1-4 in his last five; he lost to each top ten heavyweight fighter he has faced.
Still, his win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima proved he still has some gas in the tank, but his losses show he is no longer a top contender. Lewis should be facing fighters outside the top ten or even top fifteen now. One such athlete, who shares a litany of similarities with Derrick, is Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Rozenstruik is a knockout artist with a weakness to grappling; if Lewis faced him then it would surely be a stand-up affair which would please fans.
Lewis’ Next Fight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Gabriel Bonfim
A budding star was brought back down to Earth in the UFC Sao Paolo co-main event as Gabriel Bonfim could not stand up to the insane pace and pressure of Nicholas Dalby, as the Dane weaponized his cardio to gas out Bonfim and win by second round knockout. Bonfim had never lost in his career until running into Dalby and had finished both of his UFC fights in the first round.
Gabriel still has potential to be a good fighter in the UFC welterweight division at only 26 years old, but the path to get to the top will now have to be more circuitous. The welterweight division is deep, so there are many options for his next fight. He could face a more inexperienced test like Adam Fugitt, which would give Bonfim a chance to prove he still has the same dynamism he showed in the past.
Bonfim’s Next Fight: Adam Fugitt
Don’Tale Mayes
Don’Tale Mayes took on Rodrigo Nascimiento in a rematch of dubious necessity at UFC Sao Paolo and once again lost, this time by decision rather than submission. Mayes is now 3-4 (1 NC) in the UFC which puts him in the middle of the pack at heavyweight and makes him eligible to face just about anyone unranked next. In the past, Don’Tale was meant to face Justin Tafa before the fight was canceled. That fight is as good as any for Mayes, as the two strikers would likely meet in the center of the cage and throw down.
Mayes’ Next Fight: Justin Tafa
Abus Magomedov
Abusipuyan Magomedov lost with a lackluster performance once again as he got slightly outpaced over three rounds by Caio Borralho at middleweight. Abus was thought of as a great talent when he came into the UFC and won his debut in a matter of seconds, but he has seen a fall from grace in his two fights since. He needs a win to put him back on track.
Another middleweight who won recently in the UFC is Sedriques Dumas, who is now 2-1 in the promotion. Their timelines for returning would seem to match up and Dumas, while talented, is not yet on the same level as Sean Strickland and Borralho, giving Abus a chance to bounce back.
Magomedov’s Next Fight: Sedriques Dumas
Kaynan Kruschewsky
SerraLongo MMA’s Kaynan Kruschewsky had a tough task when he was given Elves Brener on short notice for his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Kruschewsky was put on Brener’s highlight reel when he was knocked out in the first round, which he would have liked to avoid but is no shame when one considers the high potential of Brener.
A more appropriate fight for Kruschewsky next would be a fellow DWCS veteran looking for their first UFC win, like Marquel Mederos. Mederos won his UFC contract with a first round finish on the show in season seven, just like Kruschewsky.
Kruschewsky’s Next Fight: Marquel Mederos
