UFC Fight Night 110 results from last night: Mark Hunt vs Derrick Lewis fight recap

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight knockout artists Derrick Lewis and Mark Hunt clashed last night (June 10, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 110 inside Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

Lewis’ rise to the top has been unexpected, but his results cannot be denied. “The Black Beast” tore through is previous six opponents, and though it was a step up in competition, he looked to land another knockout in this match up. Coming into this bout, Hunt announced his intention to keeping fighting “until the wheels fall off.” Win, lose, or draw, Hunt was coming into this bout with the intent of throwing hard and getting his opponent out of there early.

This one lasted far longer than anyone expected.

Lewis opened the bout with patience and kicks, looking to punish Hunt at range. Hunt responded by slowly walking his man down, waiting for the perfect opportunity to lunge in with big punches.

The first round occurred at what would generally be considered a slow pace, but it was incredibly tense. Each time the two exchanged, there was the potential for a knockout to land. It didn’t happen, but they both landed some decent shots in the first. Hunt controlled the Octagon and flurried more effectively, but Lewis landed a few hard punches and more kicks across the first five minutes.

Lewis opened the second round well, scoring with kicks, punches, and nearly a jumping switch knee. Once his pace slowed back down, Hunt answered with a pair of low kicks that actually did damage to both of them.

On the whole, Lewis was getting the better of the exchanges, using his athleticism to get in-and-out before his opponent could land. However, the two threw simultaneous rights, but Hunt’s elbow landed cleanly. Lewis was rocked and retreated, allowing Hunt to land some good hard shots. Lewis hung in there and responded with some power shots of his own, but he definitely got the worst of those exchanges.

It was likely tied up heading into the third.

Both men were still reasonably fresh to begin the third round, and the slow exchange of potential kill shots continued. Hunt continued to advance, but threw less, while Lewis swung wildly and landed at a reasonable rate.

At about the halfway point in the round, Hunt’s pressure finally began to take its toll on Lewis. “Black Beast” was responding with punches less often, allowing Hunt to pick his shots and land more often while Lewis was trapped long the fence. Hunt didn’t go crazy in pursuit of the finish, but the momentum was firmly in his corner heading into the championship rounds.

Lewis’ fatigue really limited his offense, allowing Hunt to pick at him with low kicks and body shots. Hunt maintained his composure and kept his defense tight, doing damage without opening himself up to easy counter punches. Lewis landed a couple shots in return, but he simply couldn’t keep his attacks going.

Eventually, Hunt’s cross began to find its home on Lewis’ chin. The cross rocked Lewis, but it was ultimately his own fatigue that ended the bout, as Hunt picked his shots until the referee called the bout simply because Lewis was barely engaging in the fight.

This was a very smart win for Hunt, who proved that he’s still a top Heavyweight. Hunt may have entered this bout on something of a losing streak, but those losses came to the world’s best.

Against someone outside the top five, Hunt is still a bad dude at 43 years old.

Hunt’s decades of combat sports experience shined through in this match. In a match where each man could end the bout with a single blow, Hunt was able to use some tricks to land the harder blows. His counter elbow was brilliant, and he routinely slipped off the center line when trading power shots. Additionally, Hunt used effective kicks and body shots to wear his man down. By the middle of the third round, Lewis was far less dangerous, and Hunt simply kept picking away until Lewis was unable to defend himself.

It was a great performance, and hopefully Hunt returns against a top fighter before long.

Lewis’ style of random explosions worked reasonably well until the end of the second round. When Hunt rocked him with the elbow, it took a lot of the gas out of Lewis’ tank, which eventually cost him the fight.

Perhaps the jumping kicks were not helpful either.

Following this defeat, Lewis sort of announced his retirement in the cage. If this the end, it would be a real shame, as Lewis is one of the few men inside the top 10 under the age of 35 years old. If he does return, Lewis opposite anyone in the rankings would be a welcome fight.

If not, thanks for the memories, “Black Beast.”

Last night, Mark Hunt eventually broke down his opponent to secure a fourth round finish. Who should “The Super Samoan” face next?

For complete UFC Fight Night 110: “Lewis vs Hunt” results and play-by-play, click HERE!