Derrick Lewis got back to winning ways tonight against Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 126, though he left it late to produce the TKO finish.
Round One:
Leg kick for Lewis. He tries for a front kick and Lewis steps in with a big punch and moves into a takedown in the center of the Octagon.
Lewis in half-guard now, but Tybura works for a leg lock, which puts Lewis on the defensive momentarily. He’s not in too much dangerou just yet though and so he just sits on his opponent and then shifts to secure top position.
Tybura working to get back up though and Lewis loses his balance and staggers backwards and falls. Tybura goes straight into full mount.
Good work from him, but Lewis manages to escape and stand back up. Lewis with a right hand and it drops Tybura. He follows him to the mat and starts mauling him with ground and pound.
Tybura weathers the storm though and then looks to improve his position and ends up in a scramble and manages to get back on top.
Tybura in half-guard here and just working enough offense to keep the referee at bay. He’d like to pass Lewis’ guard in this final minute of the round.
Lewis tries to escape, but Tybura steps into full mount. Tybura tries for a keylock submission, but there’s not enough time left in the round to finish it.
Round Two:
Nice oblique kick for Tybura. Now a head kick attempt that’s blocked. Right hand conncets for Lewis. He tries for a fornt kick upstairs that misses.
Lewis wades forward with huge punches and Tybura doesn’t like the look of that, so he moves into a nice takedown and brings down ‘The Black Beast’ in the center of the Octagon.
Tybura in side control here with plenty of time to work. He’s remaining patient though and grinds his elbow into Lewis’ face.
Lewis scrambles to his knees and then looks to stand, but Tybura is latched onto his back. Tybura close to slipping off, but he’s struggling to shake him and sinks back to his knees.
Again Lewis tries to stand up, Tybura is proving difficult to budge on his back. He breaks his base and there’s scramble, but Tybura ends up in full mount again.
Tybura drops down a solid elbow strike. Now a left hook. A couple more elbows land. Final seconds of the round and he drops more elbows down. Not a sustained offensive push from Tybura, but complete dominance in terms of position in this five minute spell and he was grinding down Lewis.
Round Three:
Tybura reaches in with a right hand. Side kick attempt now to the body. Head kick attempt from Lewis, but not a lot of technique there.
Not much coming offensively from Lewis here, but one punch is all it takes for him to change the whole course of the fight.
Tybura staying busier with kicks from range. Punch lands for Lewis. Tybura picks his moment to moce into the clinch against the cage. He lands a knee to the thigh.
More knees for Tybura has he looks to pick his moment to work for a takedown. Half the round remaining and Tybura is struggling to get the takedown.
Lewis tries for a takedown of his own. Then as they remain clinched up he finds some distance and decides to go to work, unleashing a thunderous series of punches that floor Tybura!
Tybura on his knees and reaches for a single leg in desperation on the mat to try and give him time to clear his head, but Lewis is landing bombs on him in the mean time and the ref has seen enough, stepping in to call an end to the fight by TKO at 2.48mins of the third round.
