Derrick Lewis Resurgence

Calling all UFC fans! On February 20th, Derrick Lewis, the number 5 in the light heavyweight division, faced off against the number three of said division, Curtis Blaydes. While the fight was the main card headliner, it was short. Derrick Lewis ended the contest early in the first round with a hard uppercut TKO. The uppercut caught Blaydes off guard, leaving him knocked out for almost a full minute after the fight was over.

If you know anything about Derrick Lewis, he can and usually only ends fights with these one punch wonders. However, the question remains, can Lewis sustain a high-ranking UFC career only training for knockouts? For context, Lewis’s last opponent, Blaydes, was a well-rounded fighter, who could trade shots and grapple on the ground proficiently. Not to mention the fact he does his training at high elevation, meaning he’s ready to go the distance. On the other side of this, Lewis didn’t have to worry about any of this when he dropped Blaydes in a quick second first round. All it took was a quick opening. 

To answer the question, yes, if Lewis can continue to wait for the opening’s like he did in the last fight, block fighters from taking him to the ground. He can continue to surge like he is in the light heavyweight division.