UFC Vegas 68 Fight Card: Derrick Lewis vs Serghei Spivac

Last November, top heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac were set to face each other in the main event at UFC Vegas 65. The two will finally meet this Saturday at UFC Vegas 68 live from the UFC Apex in a key bout for both fighters’ careers. The co-headliner for the night is Da-un Jung taking on Devin Clark in the light heavyweight division, with No.10 heavyweight Marcin Tybura looking to hold off No.15 Blagoy Ivanov in the featured contest.

UFC Vegas 68 Details

When: Saturday, February 4, 2023
Preliminary Start Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Main Card Start Time: 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT
Location: UFC APEX – Las Vegas, Nevada
UFC Vegas 68 Live Stream: ESPN+

Two weeks after hosting a card stacked with Brazilian talent at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, the promotion appears to have another regionally constructed card, adjusting the time of Saturday’s event accordingly. UFC 68 is loaded with athletes from South Korea and Japan, with 11 of the 24 fighters hailing from those two nations. With a start time of 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, that sets the event for a 12 p.m. start time GMT+9, Korean Standard Time. Be sure to take a nap that afternoon. With an 11 p.m. ET main card start time in the US, it will be a late night for most fight fans across the country.

Main Event Preview

When it comes to fighter safety, it is always better to err on the side of caution. That was the case last fall when the UFC decided to scratch the bout between Lewis (26-10-0) and Spivac (15-3-0), with the former being sent to the hospital early in the evening with “stomach issues”. Though he was cleared and tried to compete, the UFC elected to run it back with the two when both had a clean bill of health entirely. That brings matters to this Saturday night, with the storyline still the same.

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Spivac and Lewis are heading in different directions in their career. The “Black Beast” from Houston is 37 years old, with a birthday coming up in April. He’s fought for titles over the years, but his decline since 2021 has been steep. He’s lost three of his last four fights, twice in the first two rounds, and all three by stoppage. In the losses, he’s allowed current top-contender Ciryl Gane as well as Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa into the heavyweight Top 5. The de facto gatekeeper, he’s not holding anyone back right now, and that’s a point that Spivac looks to highlight.

Still 28 years old, Spivac has faced top talent, but with little success. His submission of Tuivasa in his second UFC appearance certainly stands out, as does his unanimous decision victory over Aleksei Oleinik. The loss to Tom Aspinall after that, however, set his ascension back a bit. Since then, he’s earned back-to-back TKO victories and is ready for the next test. Spivac’s mix of power and wrestling ability will be his ally in taking on Lewis. He’ll need another quick finish, however, as Lewis only needs one shot to end this contest early. Lewis currently holds the record for most knockout finishes in UFC history with 13.