Daniel Cormier recently shared his take on the controversial nature of the stoppage in the Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich bout at UFC 277.
Pavlovich earned a first-round TKO win against 'The Black Beast'. The Russian managed to badly hurt Lewis, who went down to the canvas. However, he wasn't completely out and stood up immediately after the contest was stopped.
This led many to believe that Lewis could have fought back if the fight had continued. However, Cormier understands why the referee stopped the contest. He stated on the DC & RC Show:
"Here's the issue. Has history shown that Derrick Lewis doesn't do well in these situations? Yes. So, maybe if I am having to defend Dan Miragliotta a little bit, it's him basing this off of past actions of Derrick Lewis. Because when Derrick has fallen down forward, he usually is done."
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Cormier added that Lewis could have fought back if the fight wasn't stopped. However, he stated that the controversy has overshadowed Pavlovich's win, who gained the biggest victory of his career against a big name like Lewis:
"But, I do believe he could have gotten up and fought back. I do believe that fight was intended to go longer. But, the sad thing about that is, Sergei Pavlovich just got the biggest win of his career. And no one is talking about it."
Watch Daniel Cormier talk about Lewis vs. Pavlovich and more in the video below:
The win against Lewis marked Pavlovich's fourth straight first-round knockout victory in the promotion. He jumped six spots to No.5 after the win. Lewis, meanwhile, has now suffered two back-to-back knockout losses and finds himself at the No.7 rank in the heavyweight division.
What's next for Derrick Lewis after his loss?
Lewis finds himself in a tough spot in his UFC career. He has now lost three of his last four fights, all via finishes.
'The Black Beast' is currently 37 years old and one might argue that he is on borrowed time at the top of the UFC's heavyweight division.
However, he remains one of the scariest power punchers in the history of the UFC and it takes only one shot from 'The Black Beast' to change the course of any fight. Lewis holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history.
Derrick Lewis is rarely in a boring fight. While he cannot seem to win at the moment, fans can expect an entertaining affair when he returns to the octagon.
Watch Lewis' top UFC finishes: