A pair of heavyweights with contrasting styles will headline a late-summer UFC event when Derrick Lewis takes on Aleksei Oleinik.
MMA Junkie confirmed that Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) will meet in the main event of the Aug. 8 show, which does not have an official location but is expected take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, according to the initial report Tuesday from ESPN.
Lewis, No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA heavyweight rankings, is coming off a pair of decision wins, over Ilir Latifi and Blagoy Ivanov, after he was out several months recovering from knee surgery. The victories helped him rebound from a pair of losses against Junior Dos Santos and then-champ Daniel Cormier in a title bout.
“The Black Beast” can make it three consecutive triumphs if he can get past No. 15-ranked Oleinik, who gets his first UFC main event spot. The 42-year-old submission specialist is the oldest heavyweight on the UFC roster, but he’s coming off a notable win over former UFC champ Fabricio Werdum at UFC 249 in May.
The matchup between Lewis and Oleinik is the first reported fight booking for the Aug. 8 card.
