Derrick Lewis Listed as Heavy Underdog in UFC 230 Fight vs Daniel Cormier

• UFC 230 takes place at Madison Square Garden on November 6th
• The main card has been through the ringer, but the UFC has finally settled on the headliner
• Derrick Lewis has been booked to fight Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title

UFC 230 was a train-wreck from the start. Dana White was without a headliner for the Madison Square Garden event, and scrambled to book a title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Sijara Eubanks. That made for a laughable main event and the fight was eventually scrapped, making the Nate Diaz vs Dustin Poirier fight the headliner. Then Poirier was forced to pull out, leaving the UFC back at square one.

Short on both time and options, White decided to cash in on the publicity Derrick Lewis gained at UFC 229 following his dramatic come-from-behind loss. We now have a new headliner: a heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Derrick Lewis.

Daniel Cormier vs Derrick Lewis UFC 230 Odds

Derrick Lewis (25-5, 1 NC) explicitly said that he isn’t ready to take on Daniel Cormier (21-1, 1 NC). Following his shock victory last weekend, where he was pummeled for almost three rounds only to land a knockout with 11 seconds left on the clock, The Black Beast admitted that his body wasn’t ready to take on a fighter like Cormier.

That makes sense. Lewis has a history of back problems and seemed to have injured it again at UFC 229. He doesn’t have the cardio to go three rounds, let alone five, and only trains half-an-hour to an hour a day. He’s also on medical suspension following last week’s fight, which will have to be waived in order for him to compete in less than a month’s time.

Even at his very best, with a full camp and his body in perfect health, Lewis would struggle against Daniel Cormier, who is currently ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter by the official UFC rankings.

Tale of the Tape: Daniel Cormier vs Derrick Lewis

Lewis is the walking definition of a “Puncher’s Chance.” He’s a fighter with poor technique, a slew of injury problems, and a very limited gas tank. But he packs a punch that will put anyone on their back.

Cormier has faced his fair share of heavy-handed sluggers throughout his career and has always come out on top. He boasts an iron chin and an uncanny ability to force his opponents to fight his fight. Anthony Johnson was known for his devastating power, as was Volkan Oezdemir. Cormier handled both with ease. He’ll do the same against Derrick Lewis.

Pick: Daniel Cormier (-800)