UFC Vegas 68: Serghei Spivac submits Derrick Lewis in R1 in dominant fashion, calls out Jon Jones

Derrick Lewis took on Serghei Spivac in the main event at UFC Vegas 68 as he returned to the UFC Apex in over a year. Lewis looked to bounce back from a two-fight skid against the surging Moldovan, who earned his first headliner opportunity having won five of his last six outings.

Spivac took Lewis down from a clinch early in the fight and caught him in a scarf hold. While Lewis briefly managed to get back on his feet, it was not before absorbing some heavy shots from 'The Polar Bear'.

Spivac continued to repeatedly drag his opponent back to the canvas, essentially ragdolling 'The Black Beast'. The Moldovan eventually caught Lewis in a deep arm triangle and quickly forced a tap at 03:05 of the opening frame.

Watch the highlights below:

Spivac paid his respects to Lewis in the post-fight octagon interview, hailing his opponent's stellar record. 'The Polar Bear' also asked for a performance bonus in addition to calling out Jon Jones:

"I want Jon Jones. I think this is good. Jon Jones I respect you so much, sorry bro. But I'm coming."

Meanwhile, this was the fourth loss in five outings for Lewis, putting the former title challenger at a critical juncture.

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"I love the sport again" - Derrick Lewis going into his clash against Serghei Spivac

Derrick Lewis' career has seen a steady decline since his interim title loss against Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in August 2021. While many suggested retirement, 'The Black Beast' appeared to be far from it going into the UFC Vegas 68 headliner.

Lewis claimed to be rejuvenated, having rediscovered his love for the sport after his recent losing streak. Claiming to be as hungry as when he first started, the UFC heavyweight said in an exclusive interview with TMZ Sports:

"I'm feeling good. Rejuvenated. I love the sport again. I love fighting once again. I love doing the training inside of it, once again. I'm feeling pretty good. Feeling confident and feeling ready. Feeling hungry like I used to be whenever I first started and I'm excited to see how it turns out Saturday night."

Catch Derrick Lewis' comments below:

Currently the No.7-ranked heavyweight, 'The Black Beast' is likely to see a steep fall in the rankings after his loss to number 12-ranked Serghei Spivac.