Adding six-pack abs did nothing to lessen the devastating power of UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis. But it may have been enough to save his spot in the rankings, if not outright his job.
Lewis, the all-time leader in knockouts in UFC history, snapped a three-fight losing streak on Saturday with a 32-second finish of Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1) that deserves placement high up in the career highlight reel of "The Black Beast." The first-round TKO at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City was the final fight of Lewis' current UFC contract and should be enough to provide job security for the 38-year-old fan favorite.
DERRICK LEWIS IN THIRY SECONDS!!@THEBEAST_UFC IS BACK #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/N2idh4Hw7Z
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
After the victory, Lewis had no shortage of shenanigans as he dropped his fighting shorts and regaled the crowd with a crotch chop before jumping on top of the cage wall wearing just his underwear.
"You know, my d---head has a mind of his own," Lewis told Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview.
To the shock of many, Lewis landed a running switch knee in the opening second of the fight that split the guard of Rogerio de Lima and knocked the 38-year-old Brazilian down. Lewis instantly swarmed in with ground and pound but was patient enough to place his shots in order to force the stoppage.
"Hell no," Lewis said when asked if he planned the jumping knee. "I just said I would throw some bullshit to see if it lands. And I did.
"That's all my coach. We have been training that same switch knee for five years and I'm glad it finally landed. I was about to give up on that bullshit."
Lewis, who was stopped in four of his five previous fights coming in, all against top competition, committed to getting in shape for this fight after struggling to cut an extreme amount of weight (and reportedly passing out) in the days leading up to his first-round submission loss to Sergey Spivak in February.
"It's a long-time coming. I have wanted to hit motherf---ers for two years and I finally did. I'm happier than a motherf---er," Lewis said. "Shit, we will see [what is next]. I'm a free agent now so hopefully I can get another contract with the UFC. But if not, f--- it, it is what it is."
Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including instant analysis of UFC 291 at the conclusion of the PPV event.
