Record-breaking KO! Derrick Lewis delivers incredible uppercut finish of heavyweight rival Curtis Blaydes to tie Vitor Belfort’s UFC knockout total in biggest main event upset since 2016
- Derrick Lewis is lethal KO artist and defeated heavyweight rival Curtis Blaydes
- Emphatic victory means Lewis now has tied for most knockouts in UFC history
- Lewis timed incredible uppercut and and put Blaydes out cold in main event
Derrick Lewis delivered an uppercut from hell to finish Curtis Blaydes and move to 12 UFC knockouts, tied for the most in the organisation’s history.
The ‘Black Beast’ headlined Fight Night in Las Vegas against the man ranked two spots ahead of him as the No 2 heavyweight.
And he produced a special KO to reach a dozen in the UFC, tied with Vitor Belfort, the legendary Brazilian who now competes in ONE Championship.
Derrick Lewis delivered a sensational knockout to tie with Vitor Belfort for the most in the UFC
Around 90 seconds into the second round, Blaydes tried to close the distance but Lewis was ready for him.
He connected with the uppercut and it wasn’t immediately clear what impact it had on his opponent.
But then he slumped to the mat and the referee Herb Dean was unable to intervene until Lewis landed a couple more thunderous strikes with Blaydes on the ground, unconscious.
Lewis managed to land two more heavy shots before the referee could intervene
Fortunately Blaydes was able to leave the octagon of his own accord after the fight
It was the biggest main event upset since 2016 when Michael Bisping won the middleweight title against Luke Rockhold in 2016.
After his win, Lewis said: ‘I can’t just turn the switch off just like that.
‘Some fighters can do that, but I can’t do it. I have to wait until the referee pulled me off because you never know what could happen.
‘Anything could happen. He could’ve turned into (The) Undertaker and stood straight up and eat all those shots. You never know. You go until the referee says, ‘Chill out’.’
‘At the end of the first round I’m like, ‘He’s messing up, he’s messing up”, Lewis added.
‘That’s what I was saying in my head. His coach was trying to pump his head up, “Good, good. You’re doing good.” I’m like, “All right, keep playing that game.”
‘That’s what I was saying to myself. The second round came, and I knew he was going to try to come out and stand up a little bit, and then he was trying to shoot. So I just had to be patient.’
Lewis has incredible power and will now expect to leapfrog Blaydes in the rankings