UFC Wichita Predictions: Lewis vs. dos Santos
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UFC Wichita features a heavyweight main event clash between Derrick Lewis and Junior dos Santos.
The card is set for Saturday March 9, with the prelims starting at 3:00pm MT and the main card starting at 6:00pm MT, both on ESPN+. The card features many fighters looking in on the rankings from the outside, hoping to build some momentum to find themselves in contender discussion.
There are some familiar faces looking to prove they still belong, and some young fighters looking to prove themselves and develop a reputation. There is plenty of talent and experience on the card and should shake up to be an exciting night of fights.
Here are the staff predictions for the UFC Wichita card.
Beneil Dariush vs Drew Dober (Lightweight)
Hiram: A great fight for the lightweight division, Beniel Dariush is another guy who has been around for a while and has fought some of the big-name guys in UFC. Although he didn’t win those fights, the experience can always be a factor when fighting, and both fighters have plenty of it. Drew Dober is a relentless man who does not stop coming forward. I expect this to be a great fight as these men are matched up pretty well.
Drew Dober def. Beneil Dariush via unanimous decision.
Connor: This is a hard fight to predict. Dober is on a 3-fight win streak, and has plenty of experience in the octagon, going back to his debut back in 2013. Dariush is one in the same with his debut coming back in 2014. Both fighters have shown the ability to win a fight wherever it takes place. Dariush likes to take the fight to the ground more regularly than Dober does, which leads me to believe that Dober will spend more time on his back.
Beneil Dariush def. Drew Dober via unanimous decision.
Blagoy Ivanov (#15) vs Ben Rothwell (Heavyweight)
Hiram: Blagoy Ivanov is a former world champion outside the UFC, he made his octagon debut against one half of this card’s main event, Junior dos Santos, and came up short. Ivanov has top-level skills and has the potential to be a top heavyweight contender. Another man who has been around for a while and has faced some of the best guys in the world. Although he has been out for 3 years, I still expect Rothwell to be competitive with his awkward style.
Blagoy Ivanov def. Ben Rothwell via TKO in round 3.
Connor: Rothwell has not stepped in the Octagon since 2016, where he lost to Junior dos Santos in a decision. Dos Santos is the fighter that Ivanov made his UFC debut against, where he also lost in a decision that went a full 5 rounds. Although his debut was a loss, Ivanov showed that he can hang with the best fighters at heavyweight and will look to prove that he deserves to be in the UFC, competing at a high level. Rothwell has 26 career KOs on his resume, and will look add Ivanov to his long list and show that he still has some fight left in the tank.
Ben Rothwell def. Blagoy Ivanov via TKO in round 1.
Tim Means vs Niko Price (Welterweight)
Hiram: This fight could probably end up being fight of the night. A veteran in the UFC, Tim Means has been there and done that and he is coming of a great win. Price is younger than Means, but Means is a better striker then Price- more experienced also. Price is a guy who can find anyway to win, even if it means winning by hammer fist while being on the bottom, something we rarely see in this sport.
Tim Means def. Niko Price via unanimous decision.
Connor: Tim Means is a fight veteran, he debuted in UFC back in 2012. Price will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss in his last outing by KO in the first round. This was only Price’s second professional loss in his career and he hopes to make improvements against Means. Means looks to continue to build momentum with another win after having a rough patch since the start of 2017, where he went 1-3 before his most recent win back in November.
Niko Price def. Tim Means via TKO in round 2.
Elizeu dos Santos (#14) vs Curtis Millender (Welterweight)
Hiram: Two great prospects in the UFC welterweight division, dos Santos is a finisher and his numbers are amazing. He has a 70 percent KO ratio to Millender’s 30 percent. If the fight does go the distance, I think Millender could pull out the win because of his high activity. I expect dos Santos to create distance and manage range, he keeps a great pace in fights and accurate.
Elizeu dos Santos def. Curtis Millender via TKO in round 3.
Connor: Dos Santos is on a 6-fight win streak after losing his UFC debut back in 2015. Millender is on a bit of a streak of his own. He is beginning to make a name for himself, without a doubt. This fight figures to be a stand-up battle as neither fighter seems to take the fight to the ground. This fight should be fun to watch as both fighters will look to throw hands. With 20 wins by KO between both fighters, there is sure to be fireworks.
Elizeu dos Santos def. Curtis Millender via TKO in round 2.
Derrick Lewis (#3) vs Junior dos Santos (#8) (Heavyweight)
Hiram: What a treat we get in the main event of UFC Wichita. Both men are highly respectable heavyweights and are some of the most elite fighters in the UFC. Derrick Lewis is coming of a submission loss to the champion Daniel Cormier, but had a great 2018 leading up to the loss. Lewis was one of the most active fighters on that roster in 2018 as he fought four times, all within in a few months. That is very active for a fighter, especially a man of that size. Junior dos Santos is coming off a huge win of Tai Tuivasa, an up-and-coming prospect in the heavyweight division. I just feel dos Santos has always been a chin-y fighter, and as we saw in the Alexander Volkov fight, Lewis can take punishment and still finish a fight with one punch even at this stage of his career. I just don’t feel dos Santos still has that in him with all the punishment he has taken.
Derrick Lewis def. Junior dos Santos via TKO in round 2.
Connor: Lewis recently earned a title shot against Cormier, which did not go his way. Up until his fight for the belt, Lewis was having an incredible 2018 where he was active and beat some of the biggest names in the division with each fight being a quick turnaround. Dos Santos has won his last 2 fights and is looking for a chance to get back into title contention with a win over Lewis. Lewis has 21 career wins in the UFC as both these fighters are veterans, and this will go to show who will remain in contention for a title fight. We have seen a number of times that either of these fighters can end the fight in an instant. There is never a shortage of excitement when it comes to a heavyweight fight, and both these fighters have shown they can bring fireworks inside the Octagon.
Derrick Lewis def. Junior dos Santos via TKO in round 1.
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