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Comebacks are not an easy thing in combat sports but they aren’t entirely uncommon especially when it comes to the heavyweight division.
This division is one of the few where anything truly can happen and where the best fighters don’t always win.
The unpredictability of the heavyweight division is what makes it so interesting for so many people.
Heavyweights are the fighters with the most power in the UFC and one punch from anyone in the division can end a fight.
That is why there is so much that can’t be predicted and that is why the most skilled heavyweights don’t always win their fights.
Someone with a more well-rounded game can be the better fighter but if they get caught by one punch that will end the fight quickly.
So when great fighters begin making their way to the top of the division it isn’t surprising when they take a big loss just before they get there.
Great fighters are constantly looking to make their way up the heavyweight rankings but time an time again they suffer a big loss.
It isn’t exactly the end of their rise though unlike in other weight divisions because there is time to come back.
Both Juniors dos Santos and Derrick Lewis have experienced plenty of ups and downs in their time in the heavyweight division.
Dos Santos went as far as winning the championship in 2011 when he knocked out Cain Velasquez.
It was a big win but it was the beginning of a rocky road for the Brazilian as he defended the belt against Frank Mir until losing in a rematch to Velasquez.
That loss was one of many over the next few years as he struggled to regain the swagger that made him a top contender.
Injuries began to pile up and the momentum that he had built was gone with his name no longer among the best.
After a long period with no action, Dos Santos finally got back into the octagon on a regular basis last year.
He took two straight wins in 2018, beating Blagoy Ivanov and Tai Tuivasa to put his name back into the running.
He is now ready to find his way back to the title shot as his comeback continues with a fight against a big name looking for his own comeback.
Lewis has been one of the best heavyweights in the UFC over the last year and found his way to a title shot against Daniel Cormier.
His run up to the top of the division was halted at that point though with Cormier taking the win.
He has not been back in the octagon since that loss but this is his chance to start anew and make another run.
He has done it before making a great run through the rankings only to lose to Mark Hunt just as he was gaining a reputation.
That led to more wins and that eventual title shot against Cormier last year and now he tries to do it again.
A win against a former champion would be a big boost to his second comeback as it could help him get right back into the title picture.
That is what is on the line this time around as the UFC gives these two heavyweights a chance to find their way to the title.
It is more than possible for either of these two fighters to earn a title fight this year and it could start right now.
Whoever takes this win will work their way up to the top of the division and complete their comeback.
It might take longer for Lewis who lost his shot only a few months ago and will need to work his way back.
For Dos Santos, a third straight win could be the one he needs to find that title shot and get his title back.
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