Derrick Lewis Remains the KO King at Heavyweight Despite Worst Divisional Stats in Wrestling Department

UFC heavyweight, Derrick Lewis, came out and earned a ‘Performance Bonus’ in emphatic fashion after winning at UFC Vegas 19. ‘The Black Beast’ knocked out Curtis Blaydes in round 2 with an uppercut from hell. ‘Razor’ Blaydes did not know what hit him as he slumped over the canvas and was out for a meaningful period.

Curtis Blaydes had snagged the first round by out-landing Derrick Lewis 27-3 in significant strikes. Additionally, Lewis had suffered an eye-poke and had potentially compromised vision. However, none of the aforementioned setbacks came in as deterrents for the ‘The Black Beast’ who seized his first opportunity.

Furthermore, fans weren’t giving Lewis much of a chance as he’s shown a huge susceptibility to being grounded. Chiefly, ESPN’s Phil Murphy tweeted out Derrick Lewis’ wrestling statistics before the fight and they needed work. However, his dynamic punching power proved to be a great equalizer. Hence, Lewis will now move closer to contention.

Lewis starched Blaydes just as he was making his entry for a takedown, which was considered his main path to victory. ‘Razor’ Blaydes came in as a massive favorite, and fans believed that his superior wrestling would win the day. However, Derrick Lewis’ power has always been an X-factor throughout his career. He has proved its effectiveness once again over the number 2 ranked contender.

Derrick Lewis: On the path to UFC gold

‘The Black Beast’, who came in with accolades for the most heavyweight KO’s in the company, is now in line for a title shot. He’s already contested for the belt once before at UFC 230, where he fell short to Daniel Cormier. However, with Cormier’s Olympic caliber wrestling no longer a threat, Lewis will favor his chances this time around.

What’s more, the match-ups available to him are marquee names such as Jon Jones or the winner of Miocic vs Ngannou 2. Any possible combination will make for an exciting showdown that fans will gladly sign up for. It all comes down to how the upper echelon of the division shapes out after Stipe Miocic attempts to defend his belt against Francis Ngannou.