Lewis Takes Pleasure In Legally Assaulting Ex-Police Officer Daukaus

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis took pleasure in getting the opportunity to legally knock out a former police officer inside the Octagon.

Lewis put on arguably the best performance of his 2021 run in knocking out Chris Daukaus in the UFC Ve…

Derrick Lewis

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis took pleasure in getting the opportunity to legally knock out a former police officer inside the Octagon.

Lewis put on arguably the best performance of his 2021 run in knocking out Chris Daukaus in the UFC Vegas 45 main event. Lewis looked patient on the feet before eventually overwhelming Daukaus with a barrage of right hooks to secure the finish.

Leading up to the fight, Lewis had spoken about how he wanted to avoid getting Rodney King’d by Daukaus. King is well known as a victim of police brutality in the 1990s. During his post-fight press conference, Lewis spoke about his performance and what it was like to assault a former police officer without penalty.

“That was for Rodney King,” Lewis said. “I’m fighting a police officer, man. Come on, man. That’s the only time you get a chance to punch a police officer in the mouth and get away with it, and then he gets up and shakes your head? Sh*t, that was a great feeling, man.”

With the knockout over Daukaus, Lewis passed Vitor Belfort and Matt Brown to claim the top spot on the UFC’s all-time knockout list with 13 finishes. Earlier this year, he had knocked out Curtis Blaydes in a Knockout of the Year candidate.

What stands out about Lewis isn’t just the performances he puts in the Octagon, but also his microphone work before and after events. As Lewis looks ahead to possible title contention in 2022, his following is more than likely to grow with each additional comedic gesture.

What do you think should be next for Derrick Lewis?

Continue Reading Lewis Takes Pleasure In Legally Assaulting Ex-Police Officer Daukaus at MMA News.

Muhammad Reveals Racial Abuse In UFC Apex During Wonderboy Fight

In the aftermath of his impressive co-main event victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC Vegas 45 this past weekend, Belal Muhammad revealed the racism he’d been subjected to by a member of the Apex crowd.

After his first opportunity to break into the…

Belal Muhammad

In the aftermath of his impressive co-main event victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC Vegas 45 this past weekend, Belal Muhammad revealed the racism he’d been subjected to by a member of the Apex crowd.

After his first opportunity to break into the welterweight elite ended in disaster thanks to an inadvertent eye poke at the hands of top-five contender Leon Edwards in March, Muhammad had his second chance to do so at the final UFC event of 2021. Opposite him in the Octagon was perennial contender and two-time title challenger, “Wonderboy.”

Following a similar blueprint to Gilbert Burns, who defeated Thompson earlier this year, Muhammad imposed his will, consistently taking the 38-year-old down and delivering damage on the ground and against the fence. After 15 minutes of control and dominance, “Remember The Name” took home a unanimous decision victory and will be ascended further up the division when the next rankings update arrives.

While he secured the win and established himself as a real contender at 170 pounds, the night wasn’t without some disappointment for Muhammad.

Muhammad: “It Was Some Drunk Hick”

Since introducing small crowds at the Apex, the facility that allowed the UFC to continue hosting events throughout the pandemic, the atmosphere has increased and provided a better feeling to Fight Nights. But on Saturday, not everyone let through the door behaved appropriately.

During his Octagon interview with Michael Bisping, Muhammad addressed someone in the audience who’d seemingly been sending abuse his way during his three-round fight with Thompson. During the post-fight press conference, the 33-year-old expanded on the racism he was subjected to from a “drunk hick” outside the Octagon.

“He was screaming out like, it was some drunk hick or something like that, screaming out racist Arabic words and stuff like that. I was just like, ‘Wonderboy, are these your boys?’ And he’s like, ‘Nah, nah, they ain’t my boys.’ I was like, ‘Alright, cool,’ and kept punching him again. It’s a small Apex, so you hear everything, and it was just weird. I was like, ‘Alright, I can see who you are.’ So I’m about to catch him on the Strip later today.”

There is certainly no room for racism in MMA, or any sport for that matter, not least when an athlete is putting their body on the line to entertain you. Given the size of the crowd and Muhammad’s knowledge of which individual used the terms, it shouldn’t be hard for the UFC to take action.

Should the abusive audience member be banned from the Apex for life?

Continue Reading Muhammad Reveals Racial Abuse In UFC Apex During Wonderboy Fight at MMA News.

Cub Swanson Pondering Bantamweight Move, Potential Urijah Faber Fight

Cub SwansonCub Swanson could find himself fighting at bantamweight next. Swanson returned to the win column with an impressive first-round TKO win over Darren Elkins in the UFC Vegas 45 main card opener last night. Swanson swarmed Elkins dropping him a couple of times before referee Herb Dean saw enough and called an end to the […]

Cub Swanson

Cub Swanson could find himself fighting at bantamweight next.

Swanson returned to the win column with an impressive first-round TKO win over Darren Elkins in the UFC Vegas 45 main card opener last night.

Swanson swarmed Elkins dropping him a couple of times before referee Herb Dean saw enough and called an end to the contest.

It was an emotional victory for Swanson who is now at the tail-end of his fighting career. Before he calls it a day, he wants to achieve a few things and one of them is fighting at bantamweight.

“I had talked about maybe dropping to 135, just to switch it up, try something new,” Swanson said at the post-fight press conference (via MMA Junkie). “I know I can make it. I don’t know how difficult it would be. This was one of the easier cuts I’ve had.

“I just feel like I’m naturally a little lighter than I used to be. I guess I’m just not holding on muscle like I was before. That’s a possibility.”

Cub Swanson Wants To Fight On Home Turf

Another thing on Swanson’s bucket list is fighting in front of his home fans.

“The one thing that I would love to do still is they’re building a big arena, a 10,000-person arena, in Palm Springs,” Swanson said. “That’ll be done by the end of the year. If I can get the UFC to have a Fight Night in Palm Springs, I’d stick around for that for sure.”

Should things work out and he ends up competing at bantamweight in Palm Springs, who is Swanson’s ideal opponent?

“Probably Urijah Faber,” Swanson added. “See who the real ‘King of Cali’ is.”

What do you think of a Cub Swanson vs. Urijah Faber fight at bantamweight?

UFC Vegas 45 Bonuses: Four Fighters Nab Extra Cash

The UFC Vegas 45 bonuses have been released. The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus. 

This fight didn’t last long Lewis controlled…

The UFC Vegas 45 bonuses have been released. The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus. 

This fight didn’t last long Lewis controlled the entire fight. Lewis caught him with a combo before they clinched. Coming out of that, Lewis hurt him with right hooks before unleashing with more strikes and Daukaus dropped. Lewis now has the most knockout wins in the history of the UFC. 

The co-main event saw more action between Stephen Thompson and Belal Muhammad.

This fight saw Belal dominate the former title contender. While Thompson was able to land some kicks early, Belal dominated this fight with his takedown and holding Thompson in position on the ground. Belal did score a late round takedown where he got his back and dished out a lot of damage. In the next two rounds, Belal continued to score takedowns and kept Thompson in side control. Thompson did stuff one takedown in the third round, but it wasn’t enough and couldn’t overcome the challenge. Belal got the decision win. 

This event had 10 finishes,  tied for 3rd most in modern UFC history. It was just behind UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping and UFC 224 to have more finishes in modern UFC history with 11 each. Peep the full list of bonus winners below.

  • Performance of the Night: Cub Swanson and Gatto 
  • Fight of the Night: Lemos vs. Hill

Melissa Gatto scored a TKO win over Sijara Eubanks while Cub Swanson got a TKO win over Darren Elkins. Amanda Lemos defeated Angela Hill by split decision

UFC Vegas 45 Results & Highlights: Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus, Stephen Thompson vs. Belal Muhammad

MMA News has you covered with results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits from UFC Vegas 45. Be sure to keep checking the homepage for the latest news.

Were the right choices made for the UFC Vegas 45 bonuses?

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 45 Bonuses: Four Fighters Nab Extra Cash at MMA News.

Derrick Lewis Swarms, Stops Chris Daukaus For First Round KO Win – UFC Vegas 45 Highlights

Derrick Lewis#3 ranked UFC heavyweight contender, Derrick Lewis has put August interim title woes behind him, stopping Chris Daukaus with a big first round knockout win — to become the most prolific knockout artist in the history of the organization at UFC Vegas 45. Patiently waiting for his opening, Lewis found himself on the receiving end […]

Derrick Lewis

#3 ranked UFC heavyweight contender, Derrick Lewis has put August interim title woes behind him, stopping Chris Daukaus with a big first round knockout win — to become the most prolific knockout artist in the history of the organization at UFC Vegas 45.

Patiently waiting for his opening, Lewis found himself on the receiving end of some notable, heavy leg kicks from Philadelphia native, Daukaus, before replying with a lengthy combination while swarming the Pennsylvania native.

Clipping Daukuas in the clinch, Lewis managed to force the former backward at the fence, before finally flattening the #7 ranked contender, folding him and scoring his thirteenth heavyweight knockout win — before calling for a championship challenge, over the course of three rounds, no less, in his next Octagon walk.

Below, catch Derrick Lewis’ knockout win over Chris Daukuas.

Ricky Simon Starches Raphael Assuncao With Second Round KO – UFC Vegas 45

Ricky SimonUFC bantamweight contender, Ricky Simon is sure to re-enter the top-15 next week off the back of his main card win over Raphael Assuncao — sleeping the Brazilian with a well-placed overhand right and follow up strikes at UFC Vegas 45. Simon, who moves to 19-3 as a professional with the win, also scores the […]

Ricky Simon

UFC bantamweight contender, Ricky Simon is sure to re-enter the top-15 next week off the back of his main card win over Raphael Assuncao — sleeping the Brazilian with a well-placed overhand right and follow up strikes at UFC Vegas 45.

Simon, who moves to 19-3 as a professional with the win, also scores the fourth consecutive win of his career, laying out Assuncao with a massive second round knockout.

Pressing the Brazilian to the fence with just over two minutes elapsed in the second frame, Simon then launched a huge overhand right shot, dropping Assuncao before following up with an uppercut ground strike as the latter attempted to recover, rendering him unconscious.

Check out the highlights from Ricky Simon’s knockout win over Raphael Assuncao, below.