UFC Fight Night 105 provided the quintessential Derrick Lewis performance.
Lewis took his time, soaked up some damage and then finished with absolute viciousness. A shot at gold may not be too far off.
Lewis wasted no time marching out to the center of the cage, and Travis Browne set the distance with his leg kicks. About a minute into the first round, Hapa began coming forward, and the Black Beast was inviting him into range. Browne hurt Lewis to the body, and the latter had to protect his midsection for a prolonged period of time.
The 34-year-old slipped as Lewis threw heavy punches, and the Hawaiian native was in trouble, but he quickly rolled back to his feet. Shortly after, a damaging knee to the gut landed for Browne, forcing Lewis to turn away and run to the fence. The Black Beast was able to get a clinch and survive, but his opponent easily won the first round.
Browne went right back to the heavy leg kicks in the second round. He was eventually tagged by Lewis, who started throwing huge bombs, but Hapa was covering up well. The 32-year-old Lewis landed several good uppercuts, but Browne told the referee he was fine. The fight hit the mat with Lewis landing on top, and he also was ahead in the contest.
The Hawaiian got up to his feet, but not for long. Lewis clocked him with a right hand that sent him crashing to the mat, and referee Mario Yamasaki allowed him a few more clean shots on the ground to shut off the lights. It was a brutal finish due to a late stoppage.
The loss hurts Browne drastically. He was winning the fight, looking sharp and was on his way to re-establishing himself in the division. Lewis’ Herculean power changed all of that, and Hapa‘s third straight defeat puts him in a precarious position in the heavyweight division.
To rebound, Browne cannot fight top-10 level competition for the remainder of 2017. That’s just the brass tacks of it. He needs to hit the back of the breadline in a serious way, but at 34-years-old, it’s a tall order.
As for Lewis, the opposite is true. He’s a legitimate title contender.
The division is in need of new challengers, and Lewis is just that. He may not be the most polished or well-rounded, but he’s exciting and on a win streak that should earn him a crack at a belt in 2017.
He could be forced into a title eliminator, but that would be poor booking. He should go right into a title fight.
The future is still unclear and in the hands of the UFC hierarchy. But on Sunday, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Lewis laid claim to being an elite heavyweight.
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