Derrick Lewis

Hokit dominated from the opening bell, scoring a takedown and battering Lewis with ground-and-pound in Round 1, even threatening an armbar before the horn. In Round 2 he landed another takedown and sharp jabs as a visibly exhausted Lewis faded, eventually dropping him and finishing with punches at 4:09 for the upset.

Key moments

• Round 1: Hokit secured a takedown and controlled Lewis with ground-and-pound, nearly finishing with a late armbar.
• Round 2: a second takedown and sharp jabs as a tiring Lewis threw wild, missing punches.
• Hokit dropped the exhausted Lewis and the bout was stopped after follow-up shots at 4:09.

Cortes-Acosta dropped Lewis with a counter jab in the second round and swarmed with ground-and-pound for the finish, handing the all-time UFC knockout leader a stoppage loss. It was Cortes-Acosta's third straight knockout in as many months. Lewis later blamed a difficult weight cut and a bad back for the performance.

Key moments

• A short counter jab on the chin sent Lewis to the canvas
• Cortes-Acosta followed up with unanswered ground strikes
• Official stoppage at 3:14 of round 2

He celebrated by removing his shorts and mooning the crowd.

Key moments

• Traded early before landing a fight-ending left hand
• Finished with ground strikes at 0:35 of round 1
• Handed Teixeira his first loss in nine pro fights

In the São Paulo main event, Almeida repeatedly took Lewis down and controlled him on the ground across all five rounds to win a lopsided unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45). Almeida logged over 21 minutes of control time and reached mount in every round but could not finish the durable Lewis. The fight exposed Lewis's grappling and takedown-defense limitations.

Key moments

• Almeida scored takedowns and reached mount in every round
• Over 21 minutes of total control time for Almeida
• Lewis survived multiple submission attempts to the final bell

Spivac swept Lewis early in the first round, unloaded heavy ground-and-pound, and each time Lewis worked to his feet Spivac dragged him back down.

Key moments

• Spivac scored an early sweep and controlled the ground from the start.
• Lewis repeatedly fought to his feet only to be taken back down.
• An arm-triangle choke during a scramble forced the tap at 3:05 of round 1.
• Spivac was awarded Performance of the Night for his dominant submission win.

Pavlovich landed a hard combination that hurt Lewis and put him down on hands and knees in just 55 seconds. Lewis got back to his feet but referee Dan Miragliotta waved the fight off immediately, a stoppage that drew loud boos from the Dallas crowd who felt Lewis should have been allowed to continue.

Key moments

• Pavlovich landed a heavy combination that sent Lewis to the canvas at 0:55.
• Lewis was rising when referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight, drawing controversy.
• The crowd at American Airlines Center in Dallas booed the early stoppage loudly.
• Notable observers including Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou criticized the call.

In a Houston co-main event, Tuivasa absorbed punishment in the early going then turned the tables in round two, landing a standing elbow that dropped Lewis and face-planted him. Tuivasa followed with punches for the stoppage at 1:40 of round 2 — a signature knockout on his way up the heavyweight rankings.

Key moments

• Tuivasa took early punishment before storming back in round 2.
• A standing elbow landed flush and sent Lewis to the canvas.
• Tuivasa followed with punches for the TKO stoppage at 1:40.
• The knockout came in front of Lewis's home crowd at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Lewis shrugged off Daukaus's early pressure and connected with a heavy right hand at 3:36 of the first round that sent the rising contender crashing to the canvas, then followed with ground strikes to seal the stoppage.

Key moments

• Lewis weathered early exchanges before finding the decisive right hand.
• The knockout punch landed at 3:36 of round 1 to stop a rising contender.
• Lewis returned to winning ways after two straight losses.

In a hometown interim title fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Lewis struggled against the technical precision of Gane, who broke him down with leg kicks and outlanded him 98-16 in significant strikes over three rounds. Gane finished Lewis at 4:11 of round 3 to become the first French-born UFC champion, and the first to ever hold both light heavyweight and heavyweight gold would follow months later.

Key moments

• Gane outlanded Lewis 98–16 in significant strikes across three rounds.
• Sustained leg kick damage limited Lewis's mobility throughout.
• Gane stopped Lewis at 4:11 of round 3 to claim the interim heavyweight title.
• Lewis fought in his Houston hometown but could not find the knockout he needed.

A massive underdog, Lewis waited for the takedown attempt from the wrestling-heavy Blaydes and timed a counter uppercut perfectly in the second round that knocked Blaydes out cold. Blaydes was unconscious on the canvas for over a minute in one of the biggest upsets of the year, and Lewis earned his 12th UFC knockout.

Key moments

• Lewis was a significant betting underdog entering the fight.
• He timed a counter uppercut on Blaydes's takedown attempt at 1:26 of round 2.
• Blaydes was knocked unconscious and remained down for more than a minute.
• The win is widely considered one of the biggest heavyweight upsets in UFC history.

Oleinik, a submission specialist, had a threatening first round with scrambles and scarf-hold attempts, but Lewis came out in round 2 with a wild flying knee and followed with a right hand flush on the jaw that sent Oleinik down.

Key moments

• Oleinik threatened with submission positions in round 1, including a scarf-hold.
• Lewis opened round 2 with a flying knee before landing a flush right hand.
• Ground-and-pound hammerfists ended it at 0:21 of round 2.

In front of a partisan Houston crowd at UFC 247, Lewis ground out a unanimous decision (29-28 across all three cards) over Latifi, who moved up to heavyweight for the fight.

Key moments

• Lewis fought on home turf at the Toyota Center in Houston.
• Latifi attempted takedowns and clinch control across the middle rounds.
• Lewis landed a late flurry of uppercuts and elbows to secure the decision.
• Judges scored it 29-28 for Lewis on all three cards.

At Madison Square Garden on a stacked UFC 244 card, Lewis and Ivanov traded heavyweight power for three competitive rounds. Ivanov's wrestling and clinch work kept it close but Lewis bloodied his opponent after rising from a takedown in round 2 and landed the cleaner strikes to take a split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29).

Key moments

• Held at Madison Square Garden as part of the Masvidal vs. Diaz BMF title card.
• Ivanov landed several takedowns and clinch control throughout.
• Lewis bloodied Ivanov after rising from a second-round takedown.
• Judges split 2-1 in Lewis's favor with scores of 29-28, 30-27, 28-29.

In a back-and-forth heavyweight war in Wichita, dos Santos nearly stopped Lewis with a body kick in round 1, then finished him in round 2 when a right hook flush on the chin wobbled Lewis and a follow-up uppercut dropped him for the TKO at 1:58. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night honors for its action-packed exchanges.

Key moments

• Dos Santos nearly stopped Lewis with a body kick in the first round.
• A right hook flush on the chin wobbled Lewis in round 2.
• Dos Santos followed with an uppercut to floor Lewis for the TKO at 1:58.
• The fight earned Fight of the Night honors for both men.

In the first defense of his heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden, Daniel Cormier dominated Lewis with wrestling, taking him down at will while absorbing no meaningful clean punches. Cormier secured a rear-naked choke in round 2 and forced Lewis to tap at 2:14, completing a clinical performance that added to his legacy as a dual-division UFC champion.

Key moments

• Cormier shot takedowns whenever he wanted throughout the fight.
• Lewis never landed meaningful clean punches despite crowd support.
• Cormier locked in a rear-naked choke and Lewis tapped at 2:14 of round 2.
• The win made Cormier the first UFC fighter to defend both the LHW and HW titles.

On the undercard of Khabib vs. McGregor, Lewis trailed a wide decision for most of the fight as Volkov's jab controlled the range and busted open Lewis's eye. He earned Performance of the Night.

Key moments

• Lewis trailed on all cards heading into the final seconds of round 3.
• A desperate right hand landed flush with just 11 seconds left in the fight.
• Won Performance of the Night on the Khabib vs. McGregor card at T-Mobile Arena.

In what became one of the most-criticised heavyweight bouts in UFC history, Lewis and Ngannou produced almost no action over 15 minutes at T-Mobile Arena. Lewis — reportedly nursing a back injury — claimed a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) despite landing only 20 total strikes. Joe Rogan called it the worst heavyweight fight ever.

Key moments

• Lewis reportedly entered with a significant back injury limiting his mobility.
• The fighters combined for roughly 31 total strikes across three rounds.
• Lewis won 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 despite almost zero meaningful exchanges.

In a competitive UFC Austin co-main event, Tybura's takedowns and pace made the first two rounds close, but Lewis landed a short right hand on the chin in round 3 and followed with a three-punch combination to end it at 2:48. Lewis earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the come-from-behind KO finish.

Key moments

• Tybura's wrestling and pace controlled the opening two rounds.
• Lewis landed a short right hand to the chin to open the third-round finishing sequence.
• A three-punch combination finished Tybura at 2:48 of round 3.

In front of a packed Auckland crowd — Hunt's backyard — the two heavyweight knockout artists traded power shots through three competitive rounds. Hunt wobbled Lewis with an elbow in round 2, and as Lewis's pace dropped in the later rounds, Hunt pressed forward with body shots and eventually stopped him at 3:51 of round 4. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors.

Key moments

• Both men were ranked top-10 heavyweight and entered as knockout specialists.
• Hunt wobbled Lewis with a well-placed elbow in round 2.
• Lewis slowed noticeably in rounds 3 and 4 before Hunt sealed it.
• The fight earned Fight of the Night honors at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

In Halifax, Browne hurt Lewis three times in the first round with heavy body kicks, but in the second both men planted and threw right hands simultaneously — Lewis's landed harder. He swarmed with ground strikes to put Browne unconscious and secure the KO at 3:12. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors.

Key moments

• Browne wobbled Lewis three separate times with body kicks in round 1.
• Lewis and Browne exchanged simultaneous right hands in round 2, with Lewis's landing cleaner.
• Lewis followed with ground strikes to finish Browne unconscious at 3:12.

In a contrasting-styles clash at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nelson repeatedly took Lewis down but landed only four significant strikes all night. Lewis absorbed the wrestling and landed over 50 significant strikes on the feet to take a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) that drew boos from the crowd. The victory moved Lewis up the heavyweight rankings.

Key moments

• Nelson repeatedly secured takedowns but was unable to do damage from top position.
• Lewis outlanded Nelson 50-plus to 4 in significant strikes.
• Two judges favored Lewis's striking over Nelson's grappling, 29-28, 29-28.
• The split decision result was received poorly by the Las Vegas crowd.

In Zagreb, Croatia, Gonzaga took Lewis down early but Lewis avoided submission danger. He got back to his feet and landed a straight right that rocked Gonzaga, followed with two more punches as the Brazilian crumpled to the canvas, with referee Marc Goddard stopping it just before the round ended at 4:48. Lewis then called out Roy Nelson post-fight.

Key moments

• Gonzaga secured an early takedown but Lewis escaped submission danger.
• Lewis landed a straight right that rocked Gonzaga on the feet.
• Two follow-up punches as Gonzaga fell ended it at 4:48 of round 1 in Zagreb.
• Lewis called out Roy Nelson on the microphone after the finish.

On the UFC Fight Night 82 prelims in Las Vegas, Lewis opened a cut on Grabowski with a big shot just over a minute in.

Key moments

• Lewis opened a cut on Grabowski with a heavy punch early in round 1.
• Grabowski turtled up under continued punishment and the referee stepped in.
• TKO stoppage came at 2:17 of the first round.

On the UFC 192 undercard in Houston, Lewis weathered early pressure from Pesta across two rounds before sprawling out of a takedown attempt in round 3, assuming top position and climbing to full mount.

Key moments

• Pesta controlled early grappling exchanges in rounds 1 and 2.
• Lewis sprawled a third-round takedown attempt and gained top position.
• Climbed to mount and finished with ground-and-pound at 1:15 of round 3 in Houston.

In a rematch of their 2010 regional fight, Jordan connected with a spectacular hook kick in round 2 that dropped Lewis. He followed with punches to force the TKO stoppage at 48 seconds of round 2, one of the more unusual finishes in heavyweight history and a highlight-reel moment for Jordan.

Key moments

• Second meeting between Lewis and Jordan after their 2010 amateur-era regional bout.
• Jordan landed a rare hook kick in round 2 that dropped the heavyweight Lewis.
• Follow-up punches sealed the TKO at just 0:48 of round 2.
• The hook kick finish became a viral highlight for a rare technique at heavyweight.

On the UFC 184 prelims at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Lewis bounced back from his KO loss to Mitrione. Potts was competitive in round 1 and even attempted a heel hook, but in round 2 Lewis found the top position and delivered devastating ground-and-pound from mount to force the stoppage at 3:18.

Key moments

• First fight back after the 41-second KO loss to Matt Mitrione.
• Potts held his own in round 1 and attempted a heel hook submission.
• Lewis secured top position in round 2 and finished with ground-and-pound from mount.
• TKO stoppage at 3:18 of round 2 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In just his third UFC fight, Lewis ran into a straight right hand from Mitrione at 41 seconds and was put on the canvas. Mitrione followed with ground strikes before the stoppage, completing one of the shortest UFC heavyweight main-card finishes of the year. It was Mitrione's second straight first-round knockout.

Key moments

• Lewis was only in his third UFC bout when he met the experienced Mitrione.
• Mitrione's straight right hand landed flush and put Lewis down at 41 seconds.
• Ground-and-pound follow-up sealed the TKO; the whole fight lasted less than a minute.
• Mitrione was awarded Performance of the Night for his second consecutive first-round KO.

Lewis made his UFC debut at UFC on Fox 11 in Orlando, Florida, stopping fellow debutant Jack May with punches at 4:23 of the first round.

Key moments

• UFC debut for Lewis against fellow newcomer Jack May at the Amway Center in Orlando.
• Lewis stopped May with strikes at 4:23 of the first round.
• The debut aired on Fox national television, introducing Lewis to a wide audience.

In the Legacy FC main event in Houston, Lewis defended the Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship against Shivers, grinding out a third-round TKO at 4:22.

Key moments

• Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship defense on home turf at Arena Theatre in Houston.
• Lewis took the fight to the third round before landing the finishing punches.
• TKO at 4:22 of round 3 to retain the regional heavyweight belt.

Lewis captured the vacant Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship in Dallas, pulling off an upset KO of Rosholt — who had shot in for a takedown — with a two-punch counter combination against the cage at 4:41 of round 2. The title win elevated Lewis to the top of the regional Texas heavyweight scene.

Key moments

• Vacant Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship bout held in Dallas, Texas.
• Rosholt shot for a takedown; Lewis stuffed it and countered with a two-punch KO.
• Finish came at 4:41 of round 2 in an upset result.
• Lewis captured his first major regional title with the win.

Lewis's heavyweight title fight against Constant was declared a no contest at 0:48 of the first round when the referee ruled that Lewis had landed illegal punches to the back of the head. Lewis had been the defending Fight to Win Heavyweight Champion. The result was later recorded as a NC rather than a win.

Key moments

• Fight to Win Heavyweight Championship bout with Lewis defending the belt.
• Stopped at 0:48 of round 1 after the referee ruled illegal punches to the back of the head.
• Result declared a no contest rather than a disqualification.

In a rematch held at Houston Arena Theater, Lewis stopped Cleveland in the third round with punches at 3:12, avenging his earlier submission win over the same opponent and earning a regional Legacy FC victory.

Key moments

• Rematch of their first meeting in which Lewis won by armbar.
• Legacy FC event in Houston with Lewis as the slight betting favorite.
• Lewis finished Cleveland by TKO (punches) at 3:12 of round 3.

Lewis stepped up to compete in Bellator's heavyweight tournament and fell to Tony Johnson Jr. via unanimous decision over three competitive rounds.

Key moments

• Bellator heavyweight tournament bout that put Lewis in front of a national audience.
• Johnson Jr. won a unanimous decision over three closely contested rounds.
• One of only two losses Lewis suffered in his first eleven pro fights.

Lewis stopped Herbert with punches at 2:14 of the first round at an IXFA event in Stafford, Texas.

Key moments

• IXFA regional event in Stafford, Texas, close to Lewis's Houston base.
• First-round TKO at 2:14 of round 1 via punches.
• Lewis gave a post-fight interview at IXFA 6 that circulated among regional MMA fans.

In an early display of all-around ability, Lewis submitted Cleveland with an armbar at 1:33 of the second round at a Worldwide Gladiator event in Houston.

Key moments

• Worldwide Gladiator event in Houston on Lewis's home regional circuit.
• Lewis secured a second-round armbar for the submission at 1:33.
• First meeting between Lewis and Cleveland; they would rematch in December 2011.

Lewis stopped Martinez with punches at 1:03 of round 2 at a Fight to Win regional event in Corpus Christi, Texas, in one of his early professional appearances.

Key moments

• Early regional bout in Corpus Christi, Texas, under the Fight to Win banner.
• Lewis stopped Martinez with punches at 1:03 of the second round.
• Reinforced his reputation as a heavy-handed finisher in the regional heavyweight scene.

Lewis made his professional debut at Worldwide Gladiator in Pasadena, Texas, defeating Nick Mitchell by second-round TKO at 1:33.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut at Worldwide Gladiator in Pasadena, Texas.
• Lewis stopped Mitchell with punches at 1:33 of the second round.
• The debut was the first recorded instance of the 'The Black Beast' nickname.