Hard-hitting heavyweight contenders Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Derrick Lewis clashed on Saturday’s UFC 324 main card.
Lewis, the UFC record holder for most knockout wins, predicted he’d add another one and do it early. He entered the fight coming off back-to-back wins and carrying some momentum.
Cortes-Acosta was also coming off two wins in a row and had won seven of his last eight bouts. He too predicted an early knockout.
Cortes-Acosta inched forward. Lewis fired off a high kick that was blocked. Cortes-Acosta delivered an outside leg kick. Lewis went high with a kick that was barely blocked. He missed with a big right hand. Lewis landed a right hand. Cortes-Acosta moved forward but had little output.
Cortes-Acosta landed a counter right hand. Lewis had issued findings his range. His punches came up short of their marks. Cortes-Acosta caught a kick and took Lewis down. He let him up after delivering a couple of kicks to lewis’ legs. Lewis pressed forward with a combination that came up with air. MMAWeekly scored the opening round 10-9 for Cortes-Acosta.
Cortes-Acosta took the center of the cage in the second and pawed with his jab. Lewis exploded forward but didn’t land. Cortes-Acosta worked behind his jab. He landed a right hand as Lewis moved forward. Cortes-Acosta continued to land his jab and make Lewis miss. Cortes-Acosta doubled up with his jab. Lewis connected with a counter right. Lewis missed and got caught with a counter right that sent him to the canvas.
Cortes-Acosta followed Lewis to the ground and hammer away with punches until the referee stepped in. The official time of the stoppage was 3:14 of the second round.
