The UFC jumps right back into action on Saturday night, with a second straight weekend event at home at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for UFC on ESPN + 32.
Like a myriad of cards compiled on the fly as the company picks up lost time due to stoppages related to the coronavirus pandemic, UFC on ESPN + 32 is not quite the deepest offering in the company’s history . But like the rest, there are plenty of engaging matchups to make the event worthwhile for you.
That includes a super interesting heavyweight main event between Derrick Lewis and Aleksei Oleinik. Is it the most successful 265-pound fight the UFC can make? No. But it’s its own stylistic matchup to make it into a fun show.
The co-feature bout marks former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman’s return to the division he once dominated as he takes on Omari Akhmedov, a competitor under the radar who gets his big moment.
UFC on ESPN + 32 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The map streams on ESPN +.
Without further ado, here are five burning questions to UFC on ESPN + 32.
Will we see a brand new version of Derrick Lewis?
Nov 2 2019; New York, NY, FS; Derrick Lewis (red gloves) reacts during his fight against Blagoy Ivanov (blue gloves) during UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Bull-USA TODAY Sports
That’s what “The Black Beast” implied for reporters on this week’s virtual media day. Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) says he has healed injuries and that his focus in this fight is simply to show improvement in the cage, and not try to get back into the title control.
That’s just crazy enough to work. Lewis is 35. He has been sidelined for nearly two years from a heavyweight title shot, resulting in an unlikely run full of wild comeback victories. Putting forward on bare power of will and undisputed heart alone will not sustain you forever.
That said, we can not imagine Lewis being too different from the fighter we saw. But a few tweaks here and there could go a long way, and hey, he’s already going into his fight with Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) on a two-fight winning streak. A strong performance could get him back in picture sooner than he thinks.
Is this Chris Weidman’s last real chance for a turnaround?
Oct 18 2019; Boston, MA, FS; Dominick Reyes (red) fights Chris Weidman (blue) in a light heavyweight over the course of UFC Fight Night at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Remember UFC 187, when Chris Weidman (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) made pretty easy work of Vitor Belfort?
That was Weidman’s third successful middleweight title defense, putting him at 13-0.
If someone had told you at the time that if you were five years ahead, Weidman would have been 1-5, and that all five of those losses were finishes, that would have been almost as plausible as saying that Donald Trump would be a president in 2020. while the worst pandemic in a century spiraled out of control.
But the latter is an unfortunate truth, as is Weidman’s career path. The hard part is that Weidman, on the whole, has taken an excellent opposition, and in many of the fights, he saw his old self right until he made major mistakes.
Is it too late to turn course? Weidman made a brief move to lightweight after losing to Dominick Reyes in October, returning to 185 to fight Akhmedov. The competitor of the American Top Team has been undefeated in its past six at 5-0-1. But Weidman is by far the biggest name he has come across. If nothing else, a fight of a competitor who is motivated for what his one big shot at entering the divisional elite should serve as a real control over where exactly he stands.
Is this Omari Akhmedov’s time to shine?
Dec 14 2019; Las Vegas, NV, US; Ian Heinisch (red gloves) fought Omari Akhmedov (blue gloves) during UFC 245 in T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Akhmedov is perhaps the most successful UFC middleweight who will receive the least amount of fanfare for his results in 2020.
And honestly, it’s not too hard to understand why. One reason is that the native Dagestan, which is part of the American Top Team, does not seek attention in a sport that rewards the outcome.
The other is that his style is not flashy in a division that happens to say attackers like champion Israel Adesanya, and raw brawlers like Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero.
But Akhmedov’s style has certainly been effective, and if you win often enough, you will eventually get your chance for the big fight, even if that means you may have a longer path than a more charismatic fighter.
That helps explain why a fighter who has been around the UFC since 2013 now only gets a platform like a co-feature bolt against former champion Weidman. Ahkmedov is 5-0-1 in his past six. All six fights went the distance. If Akhmedov defeated Weidman by decision, he would prove once and for all that he is in the top mix. However, a finish would ensure that the UFC has no choice but to keep him in a function spot.
Can Yulia Stoliarenko put on the show?
Julija Stoliarenkois is a name most known by hardcore fans. But her brief note-taking with former UFC title contender Yana Kunitskaya could be the moment the masses learn what she’s all about.
The Lithuanian competitor started a shaky start to her career, winning just one of her first five fights en route to a 1-2-2 record.
But their persistence paid off. Stoliarenko (9-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has scored three straight and won eight of her past nine. The first seven of those eight were armrest submitters in the opening round. The latest, a split decision over Lisa Verzoa in March, crowned her Invicta FC bantamweight champion.
Stoliarenko appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 28, and lost her only UFC appearance fighting at featherweight.
Bow she has become the last Invicta champion to step over to the big show, where she will face another former title holder in Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Kunitskaya did not live up to expectations 2-2, but she also took every step of the strong league. That makes her the perfect match for exactly where Stoliarenko stands in her UFC return.
Can Kevin Holland capitalize on a crazy run?
Say this to Kevin Holland: the head is never boring, and when he’s on the map, for some reason, he always manages to stand out.
The middleweight, known as ‘Big Mouth’, was scheduled to fight Trevin Giles last week at the UFC on ESPN + 31. .
Holland (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was not happy about the late cancellation and was not sorry to speak his mind. But he also said he would stick around and fight around Vegas this weekend if given the chance, and as it turned out, just such an opportunity appeared, like UFC newcomer Joaquin Buckley (10-2 MMA. 0-0 UFC), a Bellator veteran, answered the call for a short-term fight.
With a win here, Holland would be 5-1 since their UFC debut, which was a memorable brave attempt in a loss to Thiago Santos. That kind of momentum would indicate that Dutch is a potential candidate to take seriously, and not just an entertaining man on the map.
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