Last night at UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada the main event featured two heavyweights that both had something to prove. Travis Browne was fighting to prove that, despite recent hiccups, he was not past his prime, and his opponent, Derrick Lewis was looking to cement his place among the top heavyweights in the UFC. Let's get into it!
Derrick Lewis was hurt early into the fight
Browne's gameplan was clear from the opening bell. He wanted to use his overwhelming stature to maintain separation and take Lewis out with his vicious leg kicks.
In round one, that strategy paid off well for him, and he hurt his opponent with a kick to the midsection early on. Lewis was visibly in pain as he dropped his hands, covered his stomach, and grimaced ever so slightly. "The Black Beast" refused to go down, however. He survived the round by closing the distance and trying to tie Browne up in the clinch.
Derrick Lewis made critical adjustments in round two
Going into the second round, Lewis was still hurting, but he was able to get into boxing range and avoid taking too much damage from Browne's kicks. Lewis forced a clinch against the cage which at first appeared to work in his opponent's favor as Browne was able to land a series of knees to the body.
For a moment it looked as if this round would be just like the first, but Lewis was able to land a devastating right hand on his opponent's chin sending him to the canvass. Although Browne seemed to recover quickly, he was still in danger as Lewis backed him into the cage, landing multiple uppercuts. He then took Browne to the mat and rained down a flurry of punches.
It looked like the referee, Mario Yamasaki, was about to step in, but Browne was able to separate from Lewis. Unfortunately for him, it would not be enough to survive the round as Lewis knocked him to the floor with a right hand and followed up with massive shots on the ground to earn him the victory.
Derrick Lewis solidified himself as a contender in the UFC's heavyweight division
Leading up to his fight with Browne, some questioned the authenticity of his abilities in the octagon. Until now, Lewis' biggest victories had come over two aging stars, Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga, but after his incredible performance last night, it is hard to argue that his name does not belong in the list of top UFC heavyweight contenders. His ability to weather the storm and mount a comeback after being hurt in the first round showed that he not only has the abilities but also the heart to compete on a high level.
