5 reasons why Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa will steal the show at UFC 271

#2. Neither man is all that durable despite their ability to finish their opponents

Despite his knockout power, Tai Tuivasa has not always been that durable

It’s arguable that both Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa are amongst the very best finishers in the UFC today, with a total of 19 finishes inside the octagon between them. Essentially, whatever they hit tends to be destroyed.

However, while battles between like-minded foes in the past have had a tendency to go the distance despite producing wild action, Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, for instance, or Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida, this one may be very different.

That’s because despite their crazy punching power and natural finishing abilities, neither ‘The Black Beast’ nor ‘Bam Bam’ are all that durable in their own right.

Lewis has suffered a total of six defeats inside the octagon and has been finished in all of those bouts. His ground game, particularly when he’s put on his back, is still lacking. He seems to get hurt badly in all of his fights, particularly when he takes shots to the body.

Tuivasa, meanwhile, has lost three bouts in the promotion and has been finished twice. Like Lewis, he appears to be a fish out of the water on the ground, as we saw in his losses to Junior dos Santos and Sergey Spivak. Judging by how he was stunned by Greg Hardy, he may not possess the best chin either.

Essentially, then, this is a battle of two glass cannons, meaning that the chances of the fight going the distance are remarkably slim. If they can exchange heavy blows before one of the two big men ends up being knocked out, it’s very likely that this clash will steal the show.

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#1. Both men are cult favorites with UFC fans

Tai Tuivasa's wild 'shoey' celebration has turned him into a total fan favourite

UFC fans are often quite fickle, favoring fighters with star power over ones who might be more exciting to watch inside the octagon. Therefore, it’s unlikely that a fight that features two unknowns will be able to steal a show, regardless of how exciting it turns out to be.

However, Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis not only possess plenty of star power, but they’ve also become genuine cult favorites with UFC fans, particularly those attending live events. That means this clash will almost certainly be highly anticipated.

Lewis has always possessed a rare type of charisma that attracts fans, largely because his skills on the microphone are even more unpredictable than his ability inside the octagon. Some of his post-fight interviews have entered into legend, particularly the one that saw him explain why he’d taken his shorts off in the octagon.

Tuivasa, meanwhile, is outspoken and comes across as more than a little crazy. His post-fight ‘shoey’ celebration, which sees him down a beer from inside a shoe, has made him into an instant star, as have his walkouts, which usually involve him singing along to a power ballad.

Fighters with this kind of charisma would probably have caught on with the fans even if they weren’t that exciting to watch. When you add in the knockout abilities of Lewis and Tuivasa, it’s easy to understand why they’ve become cult favorites.

With that considered, then, there’s a chance that this fight might even steal the show this weekend before the first punch is thrown. Regardless of who wins, the chances of their post-fight interview stealing the show is probably even higher.