Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Him
Big men often wield big power, and none wield more than Derrick Lewis.
“The Black Beast” won for the seventh time in eight appearances, as he put away former M-1 Global champion Marcin Tybura with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 126 co-main event on Feb. 18 in Austin, Texas. Lewis now owns a 10-3 mark under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner, though his latest victory came with considerable difficulty attached. After experiencing the Texan’s brutal punching power firsthand, Tybura switched gears and soundly outgrappled him, executing takedowns and guard passes while moving to full mount on multiple occasions. Lewis appeared to be headed for a decision loss until late in the third round, where he bucked fatigue, circled away from a takedown and unleashed his fists. A crushing right hook floored Tybura, who could only cling to a hapless single-leg. Lewis then delivered further punishment to the grounded Pole’s exposed head, prompting the stoppage.
The effort moves Lewis to No. 10 in our latest heavyweight rankings and bumps Ben Rothwell to our bubble list as he awaits word of his fate from the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Meanwhile, Lucie Pudilova made more subtle waves on the undercard and joined the contenders list at 135 pounds. The 23-year-old Czech overcame a few harrowing moments on the mat to outstrike and outpoint “The Ultimate Fighter 18” semifinalist Sarah Moras across three rounds. Pudilova has rattled off two straight wins since losing her rematch to Lina Lansberg, who remains the only woman to defeat her.
Continue Reading » Heavyweight
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