Derrick Lewis’ Knockout Rampage
October 6, 2018, Derrick Lewis knocked out Alexander Volkov in the third round at UFC 229 after trailing for much of their heavyweight contest.
Power that changed heavyweight fights
Derrick Lewis built his reputation on simple, dangerous pressure and exceptional one-punch power. The Houston-based fighter, who was born in New Orleans, joined the UFC in 2014 and became one of the division’s most prolific finishers. His comeback win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 229, capped by a late knockout, became one of his signature performances.
Title challenge and records
Lewis challenged Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight championship at UFC 230 in 2018 but lost by second-round submission. He later fought for the interim title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 and was stopped in the third round. Lewis remains known for a high knockout total in UFC history, even when outworked for stretches of a bout.
His fighting style makes every exchange consequential: opponents may control position, but Lewis can change a fight with one clean punch. That threat has kept him a fixture of the heavyweight division across multiple generations of contenders.
Defining fight: Alexander Volkov
At UFC 229 on October 6, 2018, Lewis trailed Alexander Volkov for much of the fight before knocking him out in the third round. He also knocked out Curtis Blaydes in the second round in February 2021, showing how his right hand could punish a takedown attempt. His championship setbacks against Daniel Cormier and Ciryl Gane underscored the difficulty of translating finishing power into a complete title-winning performance.
Across these matchups, technical adjustments and tactical decisions mattered as much as athleticism. The results provide a useful way to assess the fighter’s career without reducing it to a single highlight. Championship opportunities and difficult defeats alike reveal how performance changes against opponents with different styles, strengths and experience.
Defining fights and career impact
Lewis also knocked out Curtis Blaydes in the second round in February 2021, catching him as Blaydes attempted a takedown. At UFC 230 on November 3, 2018, Daniel Cormier retained the heavyweight championship by submitting Lewis with a second-round rear-naked choke. Ciryl Gane later defeated Lewis by third-round TKO for the interim title at UFC 265 on August 7, 2021. Those contrasting results show why Lewis remained dangerous even against technically accomplished opponents: a single opening could reverse an otherwise difficult fight.
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Article Tags
Derrick Lewis, UFC, MMA, Fight Results, Combat Sports, Alexander Volkov
