Derrick Lewis is the UFC's all-time heavyweight knockout leader for a reason, and you can add another scintillating KO to his highlight reel.
"The Black Beast" detonated a massive right uppercut to knock Curtis Blaydes out cold for a second-round KO in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday, live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
After dropping Blaydes with a thud, Lewis rained down on him with two pulverizing rights, but Blaydes' lights were already out by that point, as Lewis collected his 20th knockout in devastating fashion.
"That was the only punch I was waiting for the whole fight," Lewis said of the uppercut during his post-fight interview after being outworked by a busier Blaydes in the first round.
With the victory, Lewis can look forward to a possible title shot soon. However, he knows he'll have to wait for champion Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou to fight on March 27 and for Jon Jones to face that winner before he can even think ahead to his own opportunity.
"I heard Jon Jones is coming up (to heavyweight to face the Miocic-Ngannou 2 winner), so makes no sense for me to say I'm going to fight for the title," Lewis continued. "We'll just see. Ain't no telling."
UFC president Dana White already tabbed Jones to face the winner of Miocic-Ngannou 2. Lewis still added that if he has a choice on who to face for the title, it'd be Miocic.
"I like them wrestlers," Lewis said after dispatching Blaydes, who prides himself in his wrestling skills with blunt force.
Blaydes touted his wrestling experience edge over Lewis entering the fight but didn't use it in the first round, opting to stay on the feet, instead. Still, Blaydes stifled Lewis with constant movement and pressed the action enough to take the opening round.
Blaydes went for a takedown during the second, but Lewis defended it well before sending Blaydes into an unforgiving orbit with his raw power for yet another memorable finish.
Main card results
- Derrick Lewis def. Curtis Blaydes via second-round KO (punches); Heavyweight
- Yana Kunitskaya def. Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28); Women's Bantamweight
- Darrick Minner def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27); Featherweight
- Chris Daukaus def. Aleksei Oleinik by first-round TKO (punches); Heavyweight
- Phil Hawes def. Nassourdine Imavov via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28); Middleweight
- Tom Aspinall def. Andrei Arlovski by second-round submission (rear-naked choke); Heavyweight
Preliminary card results
- Jared Gordon def. Danny Chavez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28); Featherweight
- John Castañeda def. Eddie Wineland via first-round TKO (punches); Bantamweight
- Julian Erosa def. Nate Landwehr by first-round TKO (flying knee); Featherweight
- Casey O'Neill def. Shana Dobson due to second-round TKO (punches); Women's Flyweight
- Chas Skelly vs. Jamall Emmers cancelled after Emmers withdraws due to back spasms; Featherweight
- Aiemann Zahabi def. Drako Rodriguez via first-round KO (punches); Bantamweight
- Sergey Spivak def. Jared Vanderaa by second-round TKO (punches); Heavyweight