LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 20: Derrick Lewis prepares to fight Curtis Blaydes in a heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Derrick Lewis vs Tai Tuivasa added to UFC 271 in February
Fresh off his record-setting knockout to close out the UFC’s calendar for 2021, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis is set to return just two months later. After knocking out Chris Daukaus at UFC Vegas 45 in December, the final event for 2021, Lewis is reportedly set to face rising heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 in February.
With his first-round knockout of Daukaus, Derrick Lewis set the UFC record for the most knockouts in promotion history with 13 to his credit. The win got “The Black Beast” back into the win column after he came up short in his bid for UFC interim heavyweight gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in August.
Earlier this week, Lewis was a guest on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting and called for a fight against Stipe Miocic as a way to get fans of him their money back from his disappointing fight against Gane last year. Ironically enough, Lewis noted that part of the reason things didn’t go according to plan against Gane is that the fight took place in Houston, Texas, the hometown of Lewis, yet UFC 271 is scheduled for Houston, Texas in February.
Appearing on the same show as Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, who is also coming off a knockout victory in December, called for a fight against the UFC’s knockout record holder. On Friday it was reported that Tuivasa would be getting his wish. Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie were the first to report that Tuivasa will face Derrick Lewis at UFC 271.
Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, Tai Tuivasa will be getting the opportunity he called for in facing Lewis, a fight he says will be a fun one for the fans. With wins over Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai, the 11th ranked Tuivasa will have an opportunity to potentially leap into the Top-5 in the UFC heavyweight division rankings if victorious over Lewis in February.
Here is how the UFC 271 card which is scheduled for February 12 in Houston, Texas currently sits:
- Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker 2 (middleweight title)
- Jared Cannonier vs Derek Brunson
- Vinc Pichel vs Mark O. Madsen
- Derrick Lewis vs Tai Tuivasa
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs Sergey Morozov
- Jacob Malkoun vs AJ Dobson
- Kyler Phillips vs Marcelo Rojo
- Alexander Hernandez vs Renato Moicano
- Roxanne Modafferi vs Casey O’Neill
- Carlos Ulberg vs Fabio Cherant
- Mike Mathetha vs Orion Cosce
- Ronnie Lawrence vs Mana MArtinez
- Ed Herman vs Maxim Grishin
- Alex Perez vs Matt Schnell
- Nasrat Haqparast vs Bobby Green
