UFC Fight Night St. Louis Predictions: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento

The UFC returns to St. Louis this Saturday night for the first time since 2018, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for every matchup on the 13-fight card.

UFC 304 Adds Major Title Eliminator Fight: Undefeated Prospect vs. MMA Veteran

Main Card

Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento

Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Derrick Lewis (blue gloves) reacts after losing to Jailton Almeida. | Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis already made it clear during fight week that he’d rather not be booked for five-round fights, and after Nascimento’s last three bouts all went the distance this matchup could slow down considerably the longer it carries on. “The Black Beast” has had a rough go over his last few outings, but I’ll pick him to bounce back from the Jailton Almeida loss and get things done early in St. Louis.

(Pick: Lewis)

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev

Buckley made it clear during UFC 300 fight week that he wanted a spot on this card, but a bout with the unranked Ruziboev offers significantly more risk than reward. This matchup is a sizeable step up for Ruziboev after only two fights in the UFC, but given his considerable experience he’s more than capable of ending Buckley’s three-fight win streak and stealing his spot in the welterweight rankings.

(Pick: Ruziboev)

Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alonzo Menifield (red gloves) fights Dustin Jacoby (blue gloves). | Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

This is arguably the most well-matched fight on the card and has significant implications for the light heavyweight rankings. Menifield has bested a slightly higher level of competition during his current run to earn the division’s #11 spot, but if “Atomic” decides to stand and trade in St. Louis I’ll take Ulberg to earn his sixth win in a row.

(Pick: Ulberg)

UFC Video: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Attempted Sabotage During UFC 292 Title Fight

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rębecki

Ferreira reminded fans that he still has something left in the tank when he returned from a lengthy layoff to finish Michael Johnson last year, and now the 39-year-old will try to hand Rębecki his first UFC loss. This fight probably deserves more attention than it’s getting, and although I don’t like how heavily Rębecki is favored I’ll pick him to extend an unbeaten start to his UFC career.

(Pick: Rębecki)

Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson

Woodson has been quietly working his way towards the featherweight rankings, and in St. Louis he faces a significant test in Caceres. “Bruce Leeroy” has been a staple of the division for more than 10 years at this point, but I think he’ll struggle to close the distance on Woodson given how big the height and reach disparity is going to be.

(Pick: Woodson)

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Robelis Despaigne, in Cuban flag, reacts after defeating Josh Parisian. | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC would understandably like to see Despaigne develop into a big star, and this fight with Cortes-Acosta is a reasonable step up in competition given the Cuban's relative inexperience in MMA. There are still plenty of questions about how Despaigne will look if he goes past the first round, but I’m expecting another highlight-reel win from him in St. Louis.

(Pick: Despaigne)

UFC 303 News: Unbeaten Phenom Added to Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Card

Preliminary Card

Chase Hooper vs. Viacheslav Borshchev

Jun 12, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chase Hooper applies a hold against Steven Peterson. | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Borshchev could cause serious problems for Hooper if the 24-year-old decides to test his striking here, but “The Dream” holds a significant grappling edge and would do well to bring things to the mat as soon as possible.

(Pick: Hooper)

Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics

This matchup has first-round finish written all over it, and although McKinney is coming off back-to-back victories I think this is a big chance for Ribovics to show fans exactly why he first got the attention of the UFC when he was fighting in South America.

(Pick: Ribovics)

Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington

Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) reacts after fighting Loopy Godinez. | Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It’s tough to gauge how Pennington will look after more than two years without competing, but based on the level she was fighting at prior to that layoff I’ll take “Tiny Tornado” to jump right back into the strawweight rankings with a win here.

(Pick: Pennington)

Trey Waters vs. Billy Goff

This is possibly the most underrated fight on the card, and while Waters will have a significant size advantage I’m taking Goff to score the minor upset after he previously moved up to middleweight and became a two-division CES champion to earn his spot on Dana White’s Contender Series.

(Pick: Goff)

Paige VanZant Gets Ben Askren’s Attention after Dubbing Ex-UFC Star ‘Not a Fighter'

Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson

Aug 5, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Cody Durden (red gloves) fights Jake Hadley (blue gloves). | Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

This is a perfect matchup to showcase how ridiculously-deep the flyweight division is, and I’ll pick Johnson to get things done in a fight that should hopefully feature some entertaining scrambles from both men.

(Pick: Johnson)

Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset

Gooden is more than capable of catching Jousset here if the Frenchman gets too comfortable on the feet, but I expect “Air” to earn his third UFC victory when the two welterweights square off in St. Louis.

(Pick: Jousset)

JJ Aldrich vs. Veronica Hardy

Aldrich has had more success against an overall higher level of competition, but Hardy impressed in her two fights last year following a three-year layoff and seems to be adding new things every time she steps into the cage.

(Pick: Hardy)

MMA KO will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC St. Louis all throughout fight week, and be sure to check back on our homepage for a preview of the event as well as live results and highlights on fight night.

Watch Disguised UFC Champ Dricus du Plessis Sing His Heart Out on ‘The Masked Singer'

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, WWE, and AEW.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.