UFC Locks Heavyweight Derrick Lewis Down With 8-Fight Contract

The Ultimate Fighting Championship may have secured the services of a fan-favorite heavyweight for the remainder of his career.

On Wednesday, UFC executives spoke to the media about a number of issues. One specific topic was raised, in regards to the recent free agency announcement of Derrick Lewis (27-11, 1 NC). The promotion confirmed he had been re-signed during the scrum, and the terms were announced early Thursday morning by The Mac Life. While the dollar amount was not disclosed, the UFC and Lewis agreed to an eight-bout contract. This is far from the first long-term deal the UFC has issued to fighters towards the end of their careers, as names such as Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Michelle Waterson all signed similar contracts of this duration.

Lewis last appeared in the Octagon in July, where he was slotted up to the main card on short notice. Facing Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Lewis smashed his foe in 33 seconds and dramatically concluded his career-long three-fight skid. Before the UFC 291 pairing, Lewis had lost three in a row to Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich and Sergey Spivak, all by stoppage within two rounds. The 38-year-old from Houston did not take long to rejoin the roster, despite many fans fantasy matchmaking him in a rematch against Professional Fighters League pickup Francis Ngannou.

Owner of the UFC’s all-time knockout record with 14, “The Black Beast” surpassed welterweight action fighter Matt Brown with his July stoppage of Rogerio de Lima. Tied in second place for the most heavyweight appearances in UFC history with Frank Mir, the two trail divisional leader Andrei Arlovski (40) by a wide berth. Lewis is just five victories behind Arlovski for that record as well, but he does celebrate the most finishes – as all 14 of his stoppages have come via strikes. Additionally, he is just one post-fight bonus check away from tying Stipe Miocic for the most of any heavyweight in the promotion.