Curtis Blaydes out, Derrick Lewis to face new challenge in UFC São Paulo main-event
It appears as though Derrick Lewis is set to return to the octagon next month as he will be replacing Curtis Blaydes at UFC Sao Paulo on November 4th.
Blaydes was looking to bounce back from his knockout loss to Sergei Pavlovich this past April but now won't get the opportunity to do so as he was forced to withdraw from the event. According to Ag. Fight, 'The Black Beast' is now set to main event UFC Sao Paulo against surging heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida.
Ag. Fight tweeted:
"BREAKING! Derrick Lewis replaces the injured Curtis Blaydes and faces Jailton Malhadinho in the #UFCSP" [Translated]
The former UFC heavyweight title challenger is coming off an impressive first-round knockout win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291. The win snapped his three-fight losing skid and earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Following his win, 'The Black Beast' renewed his new deal with the promotion.
The Brazilian, on the other hand, has remained unbeaten since joining the UFC and is currently riding a 14-fight winning streak that dates back to 2018. He earned his contract with the promotion following his submission win over Nasrudin Nasrudinov on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021 and could get one step closer to a heavyweight title shot.
It will be interesting to see whether Jailton Almeida will make a name for himself at the expense of Derrick Lewis or if 'The Black Beast' will be able to derail the Brazilian's hype at UFC Sao Paulo.
Derrick Lewis holds the UFC record for most knockout wins
Derrick Lewis has been quite the showman for the UFC both with his performances inside the octagon and his hilarious post-fight celebration and interviews.
This past July at UFC 291, the 38-year-old added another impressive stat to his resume as he extended his UFC record for most knockout wins in the promotion's history. His first-round knockout win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima was his 14th win via KO/TKO inside the octagon, which moved him into sole possession of the record after sharing it with welterweight Matt Brown.
