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Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Spivac has been moved to February 4, 2023.
Lewis and Spivac were initially supposed to headline UFC Fight Night 215 on November 19. Unfortunately, while the event was live, ‘The Black Beast’ was pulled from the fight due to stomach issues that led to him being hospitalized. The UFC officially rescheduled the heavyweight showdown with an announcement on Twitter saying:
“New date, same amount of 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 The big boys will go head-to-head February 4, 2023!”
It’s unclear where Lewis vs. Spivac will take place. There were rumors about the February Fight Night event taking place in South Korea, but a severe shoulder injury to Chan Sung Jung seems to have changed those plans.
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The February 4th fight card is now expected to take place inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four South Korean fighters are fighting before Lewis vs. Spivac - Da Un Jung, Doo Ho Choi, Ji Yeon Kim, and Jung Yong Park. Although those four fighters won’t be fighting in front of their home crowd, there is hope for the UFC to take a trip to South Korea sometime in 2023.
Check out the UFC's official announcement for Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Spivac below:
What’s at stake between Derrick Lewis and Sergei Spivac?
Derrick Lewis and Sergei Spivac have different stakes heading into their main event showdown. One heavyweight is starting to peak, and the other needs to prove he can still compete at a world-class level.
‘The Black Beast’ has lost three of his last four fights, with all the losses by KO/TKO. The former UFC heavyweight title challenger has dropped to the number seven ranking. At 37, Lewis is still a dangerous opponent at heavyweight. Unfortunately, his chances of fighting for a world title again are continuing to decrease.
Meanwhile, Spivac started his UFC tenure with a record of 1-2 before winning five of his last six fights. ‘Polar Bear’ had a phenomenal 2022 by finishing both of his opponents - Augusto Sakai and Greg Hardy. The 27-year-old is now ranked thirteenth in the division. He has an opportunity to skyrocket his value by beating Lewis on February 4.
Watch Sergei Spivac win his last fight against Augusto Sakai below:
