Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis (25-7) solidified his case for a potential title shot as he finished No. 2 heavyweight Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-3) in the 2nd round of the UFC Fight Night main event on Saturday, February 20 (Sunday, February 21, Philippine time) at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 36-year-old veteran opened the bout with a solid right hand that made his challenger step back, but Blaydes got hot late in the round and looked for an early finish with his clean right jabs.
Lewis, though, survived all the blows and punished Blaydes’ takedown attempt in the 2nd round with a well-timed, brutal right uppercut that made the top heavyweight contender unconscious for a few minutes in the center of the octagon.
“It felt like a dream,” Lewis said. “It just felt so weird afterwards. It still doesn’t feel real. This was the most satisfying (win of my career)… Never bet against me.”
Lewis, a +450 underdog coming into the fight, pulled off the biggest upset in a UFC main event since Michael Bisping (+400) knocked out Luke Rockhold in 2016 to become the middleweight champion.
“People should have learned that years ago. I could be a huge underdog, but don’t ever underestimate me. No matter how much time’s left on the clock. I’m still going to shine,” Lewis added.
With his knockout finish, Lewis is now tied with Victor Belfort for most knockout wins (12) in UFC history.
Lewis now rides on a four-match win streak and picked up his second consecutive second-round KO victory. Blaydes, on the other hand, suffered from his first loss after winning his last 4 bouts.
In the co-main event, No. 7 ranked women’s bantamweight fighter Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya (14-5) survived all the grueling grappling exchanges to earn a decision victory against the No.6 ranked Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira (11-2).
Both fighters showcased their ground game in the entire 15 minutes of the bout as Vieira got the first blow and controlled the opening round of the fight. Kunitskaya, though, made the proper adjustments and came out strong in the 2nd round to keep the scorecards close.
The Brazilian Vieira attempted a few submission attempts in the final round, but Kunitskaya remained active on the ground and wrapped up the fight with a couple of nasty elbows that opened up a huge cut on Vieira’s forehead.
“Every fight feels like the biggest win,” Kunitskaya said. “If you look at how high she was ranked, and before everyone thought she could be champion, I feel proud of myself.”
“I feel like I’m physically and technically prepared for anyone, but I always have a mindset issue. I’m proud of myself and my team for putting me in the right place. I feel so good that I won this fight in my head,” she added.
This is now the second straight win for the Russian fighter, who also won her fight against Julija Stoliarenko last August via unanimous decision.
In another clash of heavyweights, Chris Daukas (11-3) remains perfect under the UFC brand as he stopped the veteran and No. 10 ranked heavyweight Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleynik (59-15-1) in the opening round of the bout.
Oleynik immediately looked to bring the fight to the ground, but Daukas hold on and bombarded the Russian fighter with a flurry of punches to pick up another round 1 finish.
Meanwhile, young heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall (10-2) kicked off the main card with a second-round submission win against former heavyweight world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (30-20, 2NC).
Aspinall got the advantage early and unloaded a barrage of punches that put Arlovski in trouble. While the veteran survived the opening round, the 27-year-old Aspinall went for a takedown in the 2nd round and sneaked in the rear-naked choke that ended the fight.
This is now the sixth straight victory for Aspinall, while Arlovski snapped his first win streak since 2018.
The preliminary card, on the other hand, was loaded with knockout finishes, but the bout between Chas Skelly and Jamall Emmers got scrapped due to Emmers’ back spasms. Skelly was already inside the octagon when the fight was called off. – Rappler.com
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