Top UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis ranks his knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 as the most satisfying KO of his fighting career.
During his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Derrick Lewis reflected upon the come-from-behind win and told Joe Rogan that the reaction from the fans in attendance made the effort worthwhile for him more than anything else.
"That was (most satisfying knockout). But the crowd made it really exciting and satisfying because of the way they reacted. Seeing that one guy that played it in the movie (Chris Pratt), seeing his reaction made it all worthwhile," Derrick Lewis stated.
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Derrick Lewis pulled off a spectacular win while on the verge of losing the fight on the judges' scorecards. It was only natural for his supporters and teammates to get overwhelmed by the emotions. The Black Beast revealed that his manager fainted after watching the knockout while police had to be called to contain the excitement of his fans in his neighborhood.
My manager at home, he fainted. He couldn't take it either no more. So everyone was just so pumped about it. Some Police were called because of my neighbors, some fans going so crazy after that fight. I got him when my coaches said we've got a minute left, 30 seconds left. Then I am like, okay," Derrick Lewis told Joe Rogan.
When did Derrick Lewis fight Alexander Volkov and what happened in the fight?
Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov fought on the main card of the UFC 229 pay-per-view event headlined by the biggest grudge match in MMA history between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. The event took place on October 6, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Volkov displayed an overall better game through the entirety of the fight and outstruck Lewis 121 to 39 in terms of significant strikes that landed. But the ever-dangerous Derrick Lewis knocked Volkov down with a perfectly timed overhand right in the closing seconds of the fight, followed by a few follow-up shots to close the show. The finish came at the 4:49 mark of the third round and is considered among the best comeback victories in the history of the UFC. The win was followed by one of the most hilarious and iconic octagon interviews that gave rise to the catchphrase 'my balls was hot'.
Both Volkov and Lewis have climbed through rankings since their first meeting and now sit among the top five in the heavyweight division. The first fight between them raised more questions than it answered. A high-stakes rematch in the near future is not out of the question if both continue with their winning ways.