Breaking down biggest matchups at UFC St. Louis

Derrick Lewis tends to lose to fighters with either crushing power comparable to his own or an insanely suffocating wrestling and submission attack. Rodrigo Nascimento does not seem to offer either of those. 

While Nascimento’s bread and butter is on the mat, Lewis has overcome far stronger grapplers to earn wins. And even though his stand-up skills aren’t subpar by any means, it seems that he has very little to offer Lewis.

Expect “The Black Beast” to end the night with one of his signature jaw-dropping stoppages.

Prediction: Lewis by KO, Round 1

Joaquin Buckley (18-6) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (34-8-2)

After adding the most prestigious name to his resume in longtime contender Vicente Luque, Joaquin Buckley is risking halting his momentum against the rather unknown Nursulton Ruziboev to be able to fight in his backyard. 

Adding to the danger level here for Buckley, Ruziboev will be fighting at welterweight for the first time since his brief stint as Akhmat Fight Club champion. If he wins the battle of the weight cut, the 6’5” Ruziboev could simply overpower Buckley with superior size and strength.

“New Mansa” may have bitten off more than he can chew at the worst possible time for his aspirations.

Prediction: Ruziboev by TKO, Round 3

Alonzo Menifield (15-3-1) vs. Carlos Ulberg (9-1)

Carlos Ulberg will be taking a massive step up in competition when he faces Alonzo Menifield. This match up should serve as a litmus test for just how far Ulberg can go after stringing together five consecutive wins with four finishes since an unsuccessful UFC debut. 

This should be one of the more exciting fights on a card filled with action-ready pairings. If Ulberg gets the win it will be more leaning on his more technical striking than completely indulging in Menifield’s tic-for-tat approach. 

With distance management and composure, Ulberg can break into the rankings.

Prediction: Ulberg by Decision

Diego Ferreira (18-5) vs. Mateusz Rębecki (19-1)

Mateusz Rebecki hopes to make the jump from prospect to contender with a win against Diego Ferreira. Since his 2022 appearance on the Contender Series, the Polish fighter has looked promising in his subsequent UFC fights.

Ferreira is a year removed from a stunning knockout of Michael Johnson, snapping a 3 fight skid. However, prior to the knockout, Ferriera was struggling to keep up with “The Menace.” Rebecki’s combination of power strikes and wrestling should secure him the win. The true question is, will the Brazilian be durable enough to see the final bell

Prediction: Rebecki by Decision

Alex Caceres (21-14) vs. Sean Woodson (11-1-1)

The featherweight bout between Alex Caceres and Sean Woodson looks like a striker’s delight on paper. While Caceres has maintained a place in the UFC with his awkwardly proficient kickboxing since TUF 12, Woodson’s boxing experience and unusually lanky frame have carried him to victories in five out of his seven Octagon appearances. 

This is a fight that will be determined at range. Caceres will be at 3.5-inch disadvantage in terms of reach and will have to make up the difference with his kicks. That will be extremely difficult to do against Woodson’s very nuanced boxing.

Prediction: Woodson by Decision

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (11-1) vs. Robelis Despaigne (5-0)

Robelis Despaigne put the heavyweight division on notice with his 18 second knockout of Josh Parisian in his UFC debut. The Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist crammed about four fights worth of drama in that brief time period.

Despaigne will have to be far more careful against Waldo Cortes-Acosta. The Dominican’s experience as a pro boxer can serve him well if “Beastmode” throws caution completely to the wind. 

But even with some holes exposed, the combination of unbridled aggression and size that Despaigne brings will be hard to overcome.

Prediction: Despaigne by KO, Round 1

Complete UFC St. Louis Predictions and Betting Odds

Main Card

• Derrick Lewis (-162) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (+136): Lewis by KO, Round 1
• Joaquin Buckley (-148) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (+124): Ruziboev by TKO, Round 3
• Alonzo Menifield (+170) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-205): Ulberg by Decision
• Diego Ferreira (+215) vs. Mateusz Rębecki (-265): Rebecki by Decision
• Alex Caceres (+160) vs. Sean Woodson (-192): Woodson by Decision
• Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+140) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-166): Despaigne by KO, Round 1

Preliminary Card

• Chase Hooper (+150) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (-180): Hooper by Submission, Round 2
• Terrance McKinney (+154) vs. Esteban Ribovics (-185): McKinney by KO, Round 1
• Tabatha Ricci (-130) vs. Tecia Pennington (+110): Ricci by Decision
• Trey Waters (-162) vs. Billy Goff (+136): Goff by TKO, Round 3
• Jake Hadley (-175) vs. Charles Johnson (+145): Charles Johnson by Decision
• Jared Gooden (+180) vs. Kevin Jousset (-218): Jousset by Decision
• JJ Aldrich (+114) vs. Veronica Hardy (-135): Aldrich by Decision