As the Enterprise Center reverberated with echoes of doubt, Derrick Lewis entered the Octagon on a string of losses. But in Saint Louis, “The Black Beast” sprang back to life and gave us the performance of his career, turning back time and recording his 15th UFC knockout. You can never expect anything when it comes to a post-fight celebration with Derrick Lewis, as he bared his buttocks to the crowd, an incident that will be remembered forever.

The grappling strengths of his opponent, Rodrigo Nascimento, a rapidly emerging Brazilian talent could potentially be the Achilles heel for Lewis’ heavy hands. Nonetheless, Lewis exhibited signs of having regained his innermost beast right from the beginning. His approach was to trail Nascimento and dealt him heavy leg strikes and wild overhand punches that declared his purpose loud enough, to land the knockout blow.

However, that did not deter Nascimento who dodged away from Lewis’s power punches using his speed as well as attempted to ground fight. The first two rounds were an interesting mix of styles; Lewis defended against takedowns and landed occasional bombs while Nascimento patiently waited for opportunities.

Lewis owned the third round completely although it wasn’t until then that he unleashed a right hand which sat Nascimento down and put him out. The fans roared in support of Lewis proving that he will always be a fan favorite every time he steps foot inside the Octagon. And then, driven by the adrenaline rush through his veins but only he could do it; Lewis pulled down his shorts revealing his behind to the crowd being the first and only fighter to do so to celebrate a victory.

Related NewsArticle continues below
brad tavares
Brad Tavares re-signs with UFC, eyes set on UFC history
tom aspinall, jon jones
Tom Aspinall teases Jon Jones fight with UFC meeting: “Tonight Could Change Everything”
whittaker de ridder, ufc abu dhabi
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26

Certainly, Lewis (28-12) is the greatest knockout artist in UFC history before and cemented it after this win. With his 15 knockouts adding to his record, he has surpassed all others, and with no one knowing how many more victims he can add in at 38.

For Nascimento (11-2), although it was a loss, there were moments of brilliance that showed he deserves a place among the elite heavyweights. His grappling skills troubled Lewis somewhat, with some polish, he could be a genuine title challenger.

But the night belonged to Lewis. This knockout silenced his critics but also pumped up the heavyweight division which needed some excitement. A rematch against Jailton Almeida who handed him his last defeat might be on its way.

Lewis’s mooning the crowd will forever go down as one of the strangest and most unforgettable scenes ever seen in UFC history. It was a raw display of emotions reminding everyone that MMA is more about personality than talent.

It was an event where Lewis came back triumphantly into the octagon and knocked out a rising prospect thus rekindling his once dominant force in the heavyweight division. It remains to be seen what is next for “The Black Beast” but whoever he fights next the fans will be on the edge of their seats throughout the matchup.