In the main event of UFC Vegas 68, Derrick Lewis, who hadn’t competed at the UFC Apex in over a year, faced Serghei Spivac. Lewis sought to end a two-bout losing streak against the rising Moldovan, who earned his first opportunity to fight in the main event by winning five of his previous six fights.
Early on in the fight, Lewis was caught in a scarf hold by Spivac, who then knocked him out from a clinch. Lewis did, for a moment, manage to stand up again, but not before taking some hefty blows from “The Polar Bear.”
Spivac basically ragdolled “The Black Beast” by dragging him back to the floor repeatedly. At 03:05 in the first session, the Moldovan eventually trapped Lewis in a tight arm triangle and swiftly forced a tap.
In the post-fight octagon interview, Spivac honoured Lewis by praising his opponent’s impressive resume. The Polar Bear not only criticised Jon Jones but also requested a performance bonus:
“Jon Jones, please. This is good, in my opinion. Jones, Jon I apologise, you have my utmost respect. But I’m on my way.”
Lewis, meanwhile, suffered his fourth defeat in his last five games, placing the former title contender in a precarious position.]
“I love the sport again” – Derrick Lewis going into his clash against Serghei Spivac
Since losing the interim title to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in August 2021, Derrick Lewis’ career has steadily deteriorated. While many people had urged that “The Black Beast” retire, he still seemed far from it coming into the UFC Vegas 68 main event.
After his current losing streak, Lewis claimed to have recovered his love for the game. In an exclusive interview with TMZ Sports, the UFC heavyweight claimed that he was still as hungry as when he first began:
“I’m in good spirits. Rejuvenated. I once more adore the sport. I enjoy battling once more. Once more, I enjoy exercising inside of it. I feel quite fantastic right now. feeling assured and prepared. I’m excited to see how it goes on Saturday night and am feeling just as I did when I first started.”