Preview: UFC Fight Night 146 ‘Lewis vs. Dos Santos’

Heavyweights

Blagoy Ivanov (16-2) vs. Ben Rothwell (36-10)

ODDS: Ivanov (-135), Rothwell (+115)

Remember Rothwell? The UFC gathered every veteran heavyweight available in the late 2000s, with Rothwell among them, and he settled nicely into the middle to upper tier of the division. Circa 2013, Rothwell finally started to put together a run. Whether it was minor improvements over a decade into his career or the sheer luck of the draw, the Wisconsin native suddenly found himself winning fights in one-sided fashion, whether it was via his herky-jerky but powerful striking or his deceptively crafty submission game. His 2016 victory over Josh Barnett, which saw Rothwell become the first man to submit the former champion, looked to be a marker that he was finally capable of becoming a contender. However, that momentum was stopped shortly thereafter, as Rothwell came back on a quick turnaround and lost a one-sided decision to Junior dos Santos. From there, Rothwell became a forgotten man. A knee injury kept him out of action for almost a year, and as soon as Rothwell was ready for a comeback, he failed a drug test and got suspended for two more. During his time away, Rothwell has gone from his mid-30s to firmly in his late 30s, but the heavyweight remains a forgiving place for aging fighters, so it will be interesting to see what he can offer Ivanov.

Bulgaria’s Ivanov is a fellow dos Santos victim, as he comes off of an unsuccessful promotional debut against the former champion in July. Ivanov first made it onto the combat sports radar back in 2008, when he beat Fedor Emilianenko on his way to winning gold at the World Sambo Championships, and within a few years, “Baga” found his way to Bellator MMA, where he enjoyed a successful run, losing only to Alexander Volkov. Even more impressively, Ivanov’s debut with Bellator in 2013 marked his first appearance since getting stabbed in the heart in a bar fight -- an incident that required Ivanov to be put into a coma for about two months. Ivanov has shown no ill effects from the stabbing: After his Bellator run, he subsequently handled all available competition in the World Series of Fighting before finding his way to the UFC. Ivanov is a tough power puncher with some grappling skill, so he has everything he needs to compete at heavyweight, but this fight will go a long way towards determining if he can become a contender.

Heavyweight fights are usually coin flips since each fighter can end festivities with one good punch, but this one is exceptionally so, particularly given Rothwell’s near three-year layoff. Against a willing opponent, Ivanov will bang, but in general, he decides to pick his shots, so Rothwell’s odd striking style will probably lead this into a slow-paced standup affair. Ivanov might be the harder hitter and the more durable fighter, but Rothwell has a massive frame. Ivanov is fairly squat, so Rothwell can probably keep him at bay for 15 minutes and not get hit with a knockout blow. This could be an interesting grappling match if it hits the mat, but that seems unlikely. The pick is Rothwell via uninspiring decision.

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