Derrick Lewis

Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most finishes in the Heavyweight division and most knockouts in UFC history (16). A professional since 2010, Lewis has also competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy FC, where he was the Heavyweight Champion.

Background Born and raised as one of seven siblings, the second oldest, by a single mother in New Orleans, Louisiana, Lewis was troubled growing up and was often involved in street fighting. In 1998, Lewis and his family relocated to Houston, Texas. At the age of 17, Lewis began training in boxing and was preparing for his first amateur fight when the gym unexpectedly shut down. Two weeks after graduating from high school, Lewis was charged with aggravated assault, and was placed on probation. Two years later, while attending Kilgore College on a full scholarship for football, Lewis violated his probation and was sentenced to five years in prison, but ended up serving three and a half. A week after being released, Lewis was introduced to mixed martial arts by a friend and, while working as a tow-truck driver, continued with boxing under the tutelage of George Foreman. After dominating in his first professional mixed martial arts fight, Lewis decided to focus on mixed martial arts.

After turning professional in 2010, Lewis would compile a fight record of 4–1 before signing with Bellator MMA in May 2010.

Bellator Fighting Championships Lewis was scheduled to make his promotional debut at Bellator 45 on May 21, 2011, against Brazilian Thiago Santos. However, the bout was canceled when Santos had to pull out due to an injury.

Lewis faced Tony Johnson at Bellator 46 on June 25, 2011. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Lewis compiled a record of 6–0 with one no-contest after leaving Bellator, most notably winning and successfully defending the Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship. He was then signed to the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship 2013–2014 Lewis was scheduled to make his promotional debut against Nandor Guelmino at UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 on August 28, 2013. However, the bout was canceled as Lewis had to pull out due to an injury.

Lewis instead made his debut at UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne on April 19, 2014, against Jack May. He won via TKO in the first round.

In his second fight for the promotion, Lewis faced Guto Inocente at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale on July 6, 2014. He won the fight via KO in the first round.

Lewis faced Matt Mitrione on September 5, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 50. Mitrione quickly defeated Lewis via first-round knockout.

2015 Lewis faced Ruan Potts on February 28, 2015, at UFC 184. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.

Lewis next had a rematch with Shawn Jordan on June 6, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 68. In their first encounter on the regional circuit in 2010, Lewis lost by unanimous decision. Lewis lost the fight via TKO.

Lewis was expected to face Anthony Hamilton on October 3, 2015, at UFC 192. However, Hamilton was forced out of the bout with an injury and was replaced by Viktor Pešta. Lewis won the fight via TKO in the third round.

2016 Lewis faced Damian Grabowski on February 6, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 82. Lewis dominated the fight, winning via TKO in the first round.

Lewis next faced Gabriel Gonzaga on April 10, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 86. He won via KO in the first round. Subsequently, Lewis earned his first Performance of the Night bonus.

Lewis faced Roy Nelson on July 7, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 90. He won the fight via split decision.

Lewis was expected to face Marcin Tybura on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had canceled the event entirely.

Lewis faced Shamil Abdurakhimov on December 9, 2016, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 102. After losing the first three rounds, he won the fight via TKO in the fourth round.

2017 Lewis faced Travis Browne on February 19, 2017, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 105. He won the fight via knockout in the second round. Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night for their performance.

Lewis faced Mark Hunt on June 11, 2017, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 110. He lost the fight via TKO in the fourth round. Despite the loss, the win earned Lewis his second consecutive Fight of the Night bonus award. After the loss, during his post-fight interview, Lewis announced that he was likely retiring from mixed martial arts. Later in the month, Lewis revealed that he ultimately decided to continue fighting.

Lewis was expected to face Fabrício Werdum on October 7, 2017, at UFC 216. On the day of the fight, Lewis was forced out of the bout due to a back injury.

2018 Lewis faced Marcin Tybura on February 18, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 126. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.

Lewis faced Francis Ngannou on July 7, 2018, at UFC 226. He won the fight via unanimous decision, but the fight itself was heavily criticized for the lack of action in both fighters with Lewis only landing 20 strikes, and Ngannou landing 11.

Lewis faced Alexander Volkov on October 6, 2018, at UFC 229. After being behind on the judges' scorecards and visibly hurt multiple times, Lewis won the fight via knockout in the closing seconds of the third round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Lewis faced Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on November 3, 2018, at UFC 230. He lost the fight by rear-naked choke in the second round, marking the first submission loss of his professional MMA career.

2019 Lewis signed a new contract with the UFC after the title shot. As the first fight of his new contract, Lewis faced Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC Fight Night 146 on March 9, 2019. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Lewis faced Blagoy Ivanov on November 2, 2019, at UFC 244. He won the fight via split decision.

2020–2021 Lewis faced Ilir Latifi on February 8, 2020, at UFC 247. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Lewis faced Aleksei Oleinik on August 8, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174. He won the bout via TKO early in round two. Lewis also set the record for most knockouts by a heavyweight in UFC history.

Lewis was scheduled to face Curtis Blaydes on November 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 18. However, the day before the fight, Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19 and the bout was scrapped from the card. The pair faced off at UFC Fight Night 185 on February 20, 2021. Lewis won the fight via knockout in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Lewis faced Ciryl Gane on August 7, 2021, at UFC 265 for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. Lewis lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.

Lewis faced Chris Daukaus on December 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 199. Lewis won the fight via knockout in the first round. With his knockout win over Daukaus, Lewis earned the record for the most knockouts in UFC history regardless of weight division, with 13 altogether. When asked by Michael Bisping in his UFC Fight Night 199 Octagon interview, how he felt about achieving the record, Lewis replied "I’m feeling good, and I’m also happy that I’m the first fighter, clean fighter, to be number one in knockouts".

2022–2023 Lewis faced Tai Tuivasa on February 12, 2022, at UFC 271 in Houston, Texas. Lewis lost the fight via knockout in the second round.

Lewis faced Sergei Pavlovich on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277. He lost the fight via TKO, just 55 seconds into the first round, however there was controversy as the stoppage by referee Dan Miragliotta was considered premature by fighters and fans alike. Lewis received the Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" award paid in bitcoin of US$10,000 for third place.

Lewis was next expected to face Serghei Spivac at UFC Fight Night 215 on November 19, 2022. However, Lewis was forced to pull out of the event due to non-COVID, non-weight cutting illness and the bout was canceled. The pair was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 218 on February 4, 2023. Lewis lost the fight via an arm-triangle choke in round one, and he did not land a single strike during the fight.

Lewis faced Marcos Rogério de Lima on July 29, 2023, at UFC 291. He won the fight via technical knockout after a flying knee 33 seconds into round one, thus extending his UFC record of most knockouts to fourteen. The win also earned Lewis the Performance of the Night bonus award.

Lewis faced Jailton Almeida, replacing Curtis Blaydes, on November 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 231. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2024 Lewis faced Rodrigo Nascimento on May 11, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 56. After landing a knockdown, he won the fight via technical knockout from ground punches in the third round.

Lewis was originally scheduled to face Alexander Romanov on November 2, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 246. However, opponents were changed for unknown reasons and Lewis was going to face Jhonata Diniz instead. After the weigh-ins, Lewis was forced to withdraw from the fight due to non-weight cut related medical issues causing the bout between Lewis and Diniz to be scrapped.

2025–2026 Lewis faced Tallison Teixeira on July 12, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 70. He won the fight by technical knockout 35 seconds into the first round.

Lewis faced former LFA Heavyweight Champion Waldo Cortes-Acosta on January 24, 2026 at UFC 324. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.

Lewis faced Josh Hokit on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250. He lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round.

Fighting style Lewis has been characterized as a 'classic heavyweight' owing to his knockout power and physique. Former welterweight title contender and analyst Dan Hardy described him as a "wrecking ball", adding "Every time we've spoken about Derrick Lewis before, regardless of whether he's fighting Daniel Cormier, or whether he's fighting Volkov, or whether he's fighting Ciryl Gane, the same thing is always present. If he lands that right hand, it's game over."

Lewis greatly prefers stand-up fighting, which he refers to as "swangin' and banging", and has been noted by fans and commentators for his surprising ability to seemingly shrug off the grappling/wrestling offense of his opponents while in the bottom position, and simply "stand up". However, analysts have noted that when facing fighters with a background in folkstyle wrestling, such as Daniel Cormier, Lewis finds it more difficult to escape the bottom position. Nonetheless, Lewis appeared to simply "stand up" when threatened with a crucifix position by Roy Nelson, a fighter with a jiu-jitsu pedigree.

Personal life Lewis married his long-time girlfriend in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 17, 2017. They have two sons and one daughter.

On May 18, 2021, Lewis was returning to his car after a workout when he discovered a man allegedly trying to open the door of his vehicle. Lewis reportedly struck the alleged thief and pinned him to the ground until the police arrived.

Championships and accomplishments Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (Five times) Most knockouts in UFC Heavyweight division history (16) Most finishes in UFC Heavyweight division history (16) Tied (Donald Cerrone) for third most finishes in UFC history (16) Second most wins in UFC Heavyweight division history (20) Most knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC history (9) UFC.com Awards 2016: Ranked #10 Fighter of the Year 2018: Ranked #10 Knockout of the Year 2021: Ranked #9 Knockout of the Year Legacy Fighting Championship Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship (One time) One successful title defense MMA Sucka 2018 Comeback of the Year MMA Junkie 2018 Comeback of the Year vs. Alexander Volkov MMADNA.nl 2018 Comeback of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Josh Hokit TKO (punches) UFC Freedom 250

Washington, D.C., United States Loss

Waldo Cortes-Acosta TKO (punches) UFC 324

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Tallison Teixeira TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Teixeira

Nashville, Tennessee, United States Win

Rodrigo Nascimento TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Nascimento

St. Louis, Missouri, United States Loss

Jailton Almeida Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis

São Paulo, Brazil Win

Marcos Rogério de Lima TKO (punches) UFC 291

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Loss

Serghei Spivac Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivac

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Sergei Pavlovich TKO (punches) UFC 277

Dallas, Texas, United States Loss

Tai Tuivasa KO (elbow) UFC 271

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Chris Daukaus KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Ciryl Gane TKO (punches) UFC 265

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Curtis Blaydes KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Aleksei Oleinik TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Ilir Latifi Decision (unanimous) UFC 247

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Blagoy Ivanov Decision (split) UFC 244

New York City, New York, United States Loss

Junior dos Santos TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos

Wichita, Kansas, United States Loss

Daniel Cormier Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 230

New York City, New York, United States Win

Alexander Volkov KO (punches) UFC 229

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Francis Ngannou Decision (unanimous) UFC 226

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Marcin Tybura KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros

Austin, Texas, United States Loss

Mark Hunt TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt

Auckland, New Zealand Win

Travis Browne KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Win

Shamil Abdurakhimov TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov

Albany, New York, United States Win

Roy Nelson Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Gabriel Gonzaga KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos

Zagreb, Croatia Win

Damian Grabowski TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Viktor Pešta TKO (punches) UFC 192

Houston, Texas, United States Loss

Shawn Jordan TKO (hook kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Win

Ruan Potts TKO (punches) UFC 184

Los Angeles, California, United States Loss

Matt Mitrione KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Mousasi

Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States Win

Guto Inocente KO (punches) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Finale

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jack May TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne

Orlando, Florida, United States Win

Ricky Shivers TKO (punches) Legacy FC 18

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Jared Rosholt KO (punches) Legacy FC 13

Dallas, Texas, United States Win

Justin Frazier TKO (knee to the body and punches) RFA 2

Kearney, Nebraska, United States NC

Jeremiah Constant NC (punches to back of head) Fight to Win: Paramount Prize Fighting 2012

Denver, Colorado, United States Win

Rakim Cleveland TKO (punches) Legacy FC 9

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Jay Peche TKO (punches) Immortal Kombat Fighting 1

Spring, Texas, United States Loss

Tony Johnson Decision (unanimous) Bellator 46

Hollywood, Florida, United States Win

Taylor Herbert TKO (punches) International Xtreme Fight Association: Extreme Fighting 6

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Rakim Cleveland Submission (armbar) Worldwide Gladiator 2

Pasadena, Texas, United States Win

Ryan Martinez TKO (punches) Fight to Win: Worlds Collide

Denver, Colorado, United States Loss

Shawn Jordan Decision (unanimous) Global Fighting Alliance 7

Lafayette, Louisiana, United States Win

Nick Mitchell TKO (punches) Worldwide Gladiator 1

Pasadena, Texas, United States Pay-per-view bouts