Stitty Wap Sports Preview/Prediction: Black Beast vs Oleinik Headline UFC Vegas 6 from the APEX

Nothing else to say about last week's card except what an absolute shitshow. Not only were there 3 fights pulled the day before but we had a fighter passout on the walk to the octagon (Trevin Giles) but also a fighter passout after a fight (Joanne Calderwood). Great call on the Lock of the Week as Joanne Calderwood lost via armbar in the 2nd and Edmen Shahbazyan was TKO'd in the 3rd in the Main Event.

On to UFC Fight Night 174 we have the return of the "Black Beast" Derrick Lewis as he looks to stay in title contention against submission ace Aleksei "The Boa Constrictor" Oleinik. This card also features the return of Chris Weidman to Middleweight, and an absolute banger in Darren Stewart and Maki Pitolo. I also highlight my pick for the Lock of the Night and Upset of the Night as well as some Notable Fights to keep an eye on. Let's make some money this week and #RideWithStittyWap.

OVERALL RECORD: 89-42-1 (4-3-1 last)

LOCK OF THE NIGHT: 2-2 (Joanne Calderwood last) (Beneil Dariush UFC)

UPSET: 2-1 (N/A last) (Andrew Sanchez)

UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik fight card, odds

Date: Aug. 8

Location: UFC APEX facility

Start time: 9 p.m. ET (Main card) 

How to watch: ESPN+

• Heavyweight (265): Derrick Lewis (-220) vs. Aleksei Oleinik (+180)

• Middleweight (185): Omari Akhmedov (-110) vs. Chris Weidman (-110)

• Middleweight (185): Darren Stewart (-165) vs. Maki Pitolo (+140)

• W. Bantamweight (135): Yana Kunitskaya (-230) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (+195)

• Lightweight (155): Beneil Dariush (-165) vs. Scott Holtzman (+140)

• Welterweight (170): Laureano Staropoli (-140) vs. Tim Means (+120)

• Lightweight (155): Nasrat Haqparast (-270) vs. Alexander Munoz (+220)

• Middleweight (185): Wellington Turman (-160) vs. Andrew Sanchez (+135)

• Featherweight (145): Gavin Tucker (-160) vs. Justin Jaynes (+135)

• Featherweight (145): Youssef Zalal (-330) vs. Peter Barrett (+260)

• Bantamweight (135): Irwin Rivera (-195) vs. Ali Al Qaisi (+165)

(Via CBS)

Men’s Heavyweight/Main Event (265)

#4: Derrick "Black Beast" Lewis, (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC), (Favorite)

#10: Aleksei"The Boa Constrictor" Oleinik, (59-13-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC), (Underdog)

Derrick Lewis continues his conquest in the top-10 of the UFC's Heavyweight division when he takes on 73 fight veteran Aleksei Oleinik. Shoutout to the boys for the match-making on this one, you pair up a knockout artist in Lewis with a submission specialist in Oleinik. Not only are these guys exact opposites, they have also struggled heavily with the other's strength. Regardless of who you like in this fight I will be betting my first son this one does not go to the final bell.

For "Black Beast" he needs to start fast and maintain his distance. We have seen a major improvement in the cardio and discipline of Lewis since his surgery to fix his knee that had apparently injured for 4 years (the fuck?). Anyways, Lewis obviously has knockout power that he can carry throughout the duration of the bout, in fact he has had his last 2 come within seconds of the final bell. Not the gameplan here though, with a dangerous grappler like Oleinik he wants to get him out of there ASAP just as Walt Harris and Alistair Overeem did in their KO victories. When Aleksei goes to close the distance, Black Beast needs to make pay with the two boulders he calls hands. He can't allow himself to be pushed up against the fence like he was against Latifi or he will be in a world of trouble.

For Oleinik, GET TO THE GROUND. That's it, that's all the advice I have for Oleinik. But seriously, for a guy that goes by the name "Boa Constrictor" he needs to smother Lewis and tie up the submission. I loved his fight against Werdum where he was able to press him against the fence and work his dirty boxing in route to an easy decision win. Lewis has had his issues on the ground, in fact, his last two wins were Split Decisions where he was dominated in the clinch and wrestling. Add on the variety of submissions Oleinik can pull off, that +180 ML looks pretty tasty.

BET/PREDICTION (Lewis by TKO/KO, Does Not Go the Distance)

I'm riding with the Black Beast in this one. Besides for the obvious striking advantage, Lewis is super explosive and unpredictable with his punching bursts. We have seen Oleinik struggle with guys who move well and have explosive power as he eats shots to close the distance and work for the clinch. Not the best idea against Derrick Lewis. Look for him to finish this one early, so early his balls won't even get hot. And no matter how you bet, Does Not Go Distance is almost free cheese. HAMMER IT!

LOCK OF THE NIGHT (Beneil Dariush (-165) vs. Scott Holtzman (+140))

Was considering this fight as the "Upset of the Night" after seeing some articles in which Dariush was "disappointed" he drew Holtzman in this fight. Holtzman is not a guy you can take lightly, especially for a guy like Dariush who we should all blame for making Alexander Hernandez famous when he was brutally KO'd in the 1st. Since then, Dariush has looked much improved and confident, coming off a huge KO win over Drakkar Klosse. While this fight should be very close on the feet, Dariush should mop Holtzman on the mat. With such a big advantage in the ground game Dariush should have no problem changing guard if it gets hairy on the feet.

UPSET OF THE NIGHT (Wellington Turman (-160) vs. Andrew Sanchez (+135))

Riding with "El Dirte" Sanchez in this Prelim fight. The former TUF winner is who he is, a grinder that might not be the most fun to watch but is a difficult fight for anyone especially a young guy like Turman. Turman clearly has the striking/submission advantage so Sanchez can't get lazy or sloppy but I think his veteran presence and grueling style will be enough to take home the decision and Upset.

FIGHT OF THE NIGHT (Darren "The Dentist" Stewart/Maki "Coconut Bombz" Pitolo)

Obvious choice for Fight of the Night. When you match a guys with the nicknames of "The Dentist" and "Coconut Bombz" you can pretty much expect a lot of "Just Bleed" action. But in all honesty, I could not be more juiced for any other fight on the card than this one right here. Pitolo, is 1-1 in so far after earning a contract via Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series with a loss to Callan Potter in his UFC debut followed by an ultra impressive TKO W over Charles Byrd. Darren "The Dentist" has had a rough go of it so far in his UFC career sitting at 4-5-1 with his last fight coming in "Cage Warriors" due to the on-going pandemic (UFC allowed him to fight since he was unable to get into the USA). Both guys are high intensity, high pressure fighters looking to take your head off with every shot. If you can't tell, I can't wait for this one.

NOTABLE FIGHTS:

Middleweight (185): Omari Akhmedov (-110) vs. Chris Weidman (-110)

Return to Middleweight for the former champ, Chris "The All-American" Weidman. With just one win since his title reign, Weidman will look to make on last run at the title as he faces a very underrated veteran in Omari Akhmedov who is 5-0-1 in his last 6. This is a massive fight for both guys, giving "The Wolverine" a chance to pick up his most notable win and Weidman a chance to "get a freakin W". This fight is rightfully a pick em and should come down to a close decision.

UFC VEGAS 6 PICKS