Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak were originally scheduled to meet three months ago, but the fight was called off at last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. The ranked heavyweight contenders will finally meet Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak in Las Vegas. Their matchup anchors the main UFC Fight Night card (1 a.m. ET) from the promotion's Apex facility. The No. 7-ranked Lewis and No. 12-ranked Spivak were originally set to headline a UFC Fight Night card in November, but Lewis fell ill just hours before the opening bell and the bout had to be scrapped. Now, the combatants will clash with the winner making headway in the crowded division, while the loser will face a long road back into the title-picture conversation.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Spivak as a -235 favorite (risk $235 to win $100), while Lewis comes back at +195 in the latest Caesars UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak odds. In the co-main event, light heavyweight veterans go to battle when Da Un Jung (-235) faces Devin Clark (+195). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak picks, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past four years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $12,000. Last year, the accomplished MMA analyst launched the UFC season by telling SportsLine members to support Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar's lopsided unanimous-decision victory gave Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak looming, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top picks and predictions. Marley's UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak preview
The heavyweight division is now in a transitional phase following the departure of former champion Francis Ngannou, who left the promotion and the title vacant after he was unable to come to terms with the UFC on a new contract. Top-ranked Ciryl Gane will face former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who hasn't fought in more than three years, for the heavyweight belt at UFC 285 in March.
The sizable group of viable contenders below them will be vying for position on the rankings, in hopes of landing the next title shot or perhaps a title eliminator. Either Lewis or Spivak can enter the title-shot conversation with an impressive performance Saturday.
Lewis (26-10-1) is a nine-year UFC veteran who has faced off against some of the division's biggest names, but he has twice come up short in title fights against Gane and former champion Daniel Cormier. His resume includes a knockout win over No. 4-ranked Curtis Blaydes and a decision victory over Ngannou.
His explosive power makes Lewis a threat in any matchup, but recent results have many MMA observers wondering whether the 37-year-old's best days are behind him. Each of his past three losses have come by stoppage to younger contenders inside of three rounds. Lewis can halt that narrative should he get past the versatile Spivak (15-3), who is 6-3 in nine UFC appearances but has faced mostly modest competition to this point.
The highlight of the Russian fighter's resume is a second-round submission against No. 5-ranked Tai Tuivasa, who knocked out Lewis at UFC 271 in February of last year. But Spivak also has suffered losses to the likes of veteran Marcin Tybura and fellow prospect Tom Aspinall. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Marley's UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Marcin Tybura (-140) to get his hand raised against Blagoy Ivanov (+120) in a matchup of veteran heavyweight sluggers on the main card.
The No. 10-ranked Tybura is a seven-year UFC veteran and one of the division's most versatile combatants, with nine knockouts and six submissions on his record. The 37-year-old Polish fighter has enjoyed a late-career surge that has seen him crack the rankings for the first time. He has won six of his past seven and is coming off a win over prospect Alexander Romanov last August.
Ivanov (19-4-1) similarly has a diverse skill set, as evidenced by the six knockouts and six submissions on his record. The Bulgarian fighter is a former World Series of Fighting champion but has struggled to gain consistent traction in the UFC, posting a 3-3 mark in six appearances.
"I give Tybura the slight edge in striking because he is lighter on his feet. He is also the bigger and faster fighter. Either fighter could get takedowns and win rounds with ground control. But I will side with the veteran Tybura," Marley told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Marley has strong picks for Lewis vs. Spivak and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "is the better striker with higher volume" to emerge with a big victory. Marley's picks and MMA analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the incomparable expert who's up nearly $12,000 on MMA in the past four years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Sergey Spivak (-235) vs. Derrick Lewis (+195)
Da Un Jung (-235) vs. Devin Clark (+195)
Marcin Tybura (-140) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (+120)
Doo Ho Choi (-195) vs. Kyle Nelson (+165)
Yusaku Kinoshita (-285) vs. Adam Fugitt (+230)
Anshul Jubli (-115) vs. Jeka Saragih (-105)
Rinya Nakamura (-440) vs. Toshomi Kazama (+335)
Hyun Sung Park (-205) vs. Sung Guk Choi (+170)
Jun Yong Park (-210) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (+175)
Ji Yeon Kim (-265) vs. Mandy Bohm (+215)
