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LAS VEGAS – Derrick Lewis is one of the biggest punchers in the UFC. He’s also arguably the funniest fighter in the game. Both traits were on display Saturday in his dramatic knockout victory over Alexander Volkov on the main card of T-Mobile Arena at UFC 229.

With the clock running out, Lewis hit Volkov with a crushing straight right that dropped him. Lewis quickly pounced, landing devastating hammer fists that forced referee Herb Dean to stop it at 4:49.

Lewis was having trouble seeing out of his left eye, which was poked early in the fight, and Volkov was landing big shots. Lewis spent much of the third round backing away.

Lewis, though, planted his feet when the distance closed and connected on one of his patented rights that sent Volkov down with a thud.

The crowd went wild when it was stopped, but it was in for more entertainment. Lewis removed his fight shorts just before UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan went into the ring to interview him. He was holding them when Rogan began the interview by asking him about it.

“Derrick, why did you take your shorts off,” Rogan said.

“My balls were hot,” Lewis said, deadpan.

Rogan nodded and said, “I understand.”

After, they discussed the fight and the quick-witted Lewis said he’d received a call from President Trump.

“A couple of hours before the fight, Trump called me and told me to knock this [expletive] out and make him look bad,” Lewis said.

The crowd roared. It was that kind of night for Lewis, who was coming off a horrid performance in a win over Francis Ngannou at UFC 226 in July that was one of the worst fights in UFC history.

This was filled with back-and-forth action, though Volkov was getting the best of it. Power, though, is the best weapon and Lewis used it to change an imminent loss into a win.

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