What’s next for Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento after UFC St. Louis?

In the main event of UFC St. Louis, ranked heavyweights threw down as Derrick Lewis took on Rodrigo Nascimento.

Lewis entered the fight coming off a lackluster decision loss to Jailton Almeida as ‘The Black Beast’ was 1-4 in his last five. Nascimento, meanwhile, was on a three-fight winning streak and was getting his first UFC main event.

Ultimately, it was Lewis who got his hand raised by third-round knockout to get back into the win column. The fight was competitive until ‘The Black Beast’ landed another KO win. Following the fight, here is what I think should be next for Lewis and Nascimento after UFC St. Louis.

Derrick Lewis

Derrick Lewis returned to the win column in a big way with a third-round knockout win over Rodrigo Nascimento. It was a good way for Lewis to get back into the win column and remain a contender in the division.

With the win, Lewis’ next fight has to be against Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He’s one of the few opponents that Lewis hasn’t fought and it’s a perfect Fight Night main event with the bout likely ending by KO early. The winner can start their climb back up to the top while the loser will likely remain a gatekeeper at the bottom of the rankings.

Rodrigo Nascimento

Rodrigo Nascimento got his first UFC main event against Derrick Lewis and early on he was having success with his grappling. However, in the third round, he got knocked out by Lewis at UFC St. Louis and is now back to the drawing board after the loss.

The Brazilian will likely have to fight an unranked heavyweight and a fight that does make sense is to face Mick Parkin. The Brit is a perfect 3-0 in the UFC and deserves a chance to fight a ranked opponent, which Nascimento is. It’s a good test for both men that could take place in late summer or early fall.