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 Derrick Lewis celebrates his victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima of Brazil in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 291 event at Delta Center on July 29, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Five Derrick Lewis Fights To Watch Before UFC São Paulo

Before “The Black Beast” Puts On A Show at UFC São Paulo This Weekend, Check Out Some Of His Best Work To Date

This weekend, Derrick Lewis returns to the Octagon to headline UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs Lewis in São Paulo, Brazil, and, per usual, fans are waiting to see if the prolific striker can score another knockout.

Since his UFC debut in 2014, Lewis has been a knockout sensation, setting a UFC record with an impressive tally of 14 knockouts. His finishes range from quick, devastating blows to brutal ground-and-pound stoppages, targeting some formidable opponents along the way. 

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Before he aims for his 15th knockout in the Octagon, let’s revisit Lewis’s most unforgettable fights.

vs Chris Daukaus [Watch On UFC Fightpass]

Opponents Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus face off prior to their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 18, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Opponents Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus face off prior to their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 18, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

In the main event of UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Daukaus, heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis made history by securing the most knockouts in UFC history. 

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He achieved this milestone by finishing Chris Daukaus in the first round, marking his 13th knockout and breaking his tie Vitor Belfort and Matt Brown.

 Derrick Lewis celebrates after his knockout victory over Chris Daukaus in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 18, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Derrick Lewis celebrates after his knockout victory over Chris Daukaus in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 18, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

At the beginning of the bout, Daukaus chose a strategic approach and utilized a hit-and-move tactic to avoid getting cornered against the fence. Meanwhile, Lewis was able to find success during exchanges. With less than two minutes remaining in the round, Lewis launched a relentless attack on Daukaus. Despite Daukaus being cut, he endured the initial onslaught. But when Lewis resumed his assault, a heavy right hand connected, causing Daukaus to fall. 

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Referee Mark Smith intervened and halted the fight at the 3:36 mark in the first round.

vs Marcos Rogerio De Lima [Watch On UFC Fightpass

Free Fight | Derrick Lewis vs Marcus Rogério de Lima
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Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!

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Free Fight | Derrick Lewis vs Marcus Rogério de Lima
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Once more, the UFC Knockout King showcased complete dominance in the Octagon! 

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Derrick Lewis opened his bout against Marcos Rogerio de Lima with a flying knee and maintained complete control, relentlessly attacking until he secured the victory at 33 seconds into the first. 

This win not only ended his three-fight losing streak but also marked his 14th knockout triumph, elevating his UFC record to 18-9.

vs Alexander Volkov [Watch On UFC Fightpass

 Derrick Lewis raises his hand in victory over Alexander Volkov of Russia in their heavyweight bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)
Derrick Lewis raises his hand in victory over Alexander Volkov of Russia in their heavyweight bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)

In the closing moments of UFC 229, it seemed as if Volkov was clearly taking this one.

Lewis found himself consistently over-powered throughout the three-round bout while Volkov had maintained control and distance, landing some serious jabs and teep kicks that gave him a sizeable lead. 

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With only half a minute left in the bout, Volkov just needed to avoid any trouble to secure that victory. But in true Lewis fashion, he delivered two heavy right hands that sat Volkov down. Referee Herb Dean stepped in with just 10 seconds left on the clock. This victory represented Lewis' third consecutive win since his previous loss to Mark Hunt.

vs Curtis Blaydes [Watch On UFC Fightpass

Opponents Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis face off prior to their heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Opponents Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis face off prior to their heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Derrick Lewis finished the UFC Vegas 19 main event seamlessly by landing a heavy blow on Curtis Blaydes.

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While Blaydes attempted to use his wrestling skills, Lewis expertly timed an uppercut that landed with explosive force, causing Blaydes to collapse to the canvas.

The knockout occurred at 1:26 into the second round. With this victory, Lewis had secured his fourth consecutive win, bringing him closer to a title shot. 

vs Aleksei Oleinik [Watch On UFC Fightpass]

Derrick Lewis knees Aleksei Oleinik of Russia in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 08, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Derrick Lewis knees Aleksei Oleinik of Russia in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 08, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

At UFC Fight Night 174, Derrick Lewis faced submission specialist Aleksei Oleinik, a matchup that many believed seemed unfavorable for “The Black Beast.”

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Despite initial setbacks where Lewis allowed the fight to go to the ground, giving Oleinik the advantage, the second round saw a dramatic shift. Lewis, seemingly fed up with the grappling, knocked Oleinik down in the second with a right hand. He followed that by mercilessly hitting Oleinik with some ground-and-pound and eventually ending the fight.

Getting his hand raised served as a reminder of Lewis’s exceptional striking.

UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs Lewis took place live from Ibirapuera Arena in São Paulo, Brazil on November 4, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass