Lewis pummels Oleinik, earns 2nd-round TKO in UFC main event

Heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis finished Aleksei Oleinik via TKO at 0:21 of the second round in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Lewis has now surpassed Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos for the most knockouts in UFC heavyweight history (11).

"The Black Beast" attacked Oleinik with an onslaught of huge bombs as soon as the bout started, but the Russian avoided the worst of the punishment. Lewis dragged Oleinik to the mat and landed some heavy shots, though Oleinik - a submission specialist - eventually reversed the position and got on top. Lewis briefly escaped, but Oleinik re-established a dominant position. Lewis then hung tough when Oleinik attempted a submission late in the first round.

Lewis started the second round even quicker than the first, but this time he landed with ferocious power. The 35-year-old attempted a flying knee, then dropped Oleinik with a massive right hand and unloaded on his opponent with his patented ground-and-pound. The referee gave Oleinik plenty of time to get out of trouble and improve his position, but "The Boa Constrictor" was unable to do so.

With the victory, Lewis extended his winning streak to three. He's ranked No. 4 in the heavyweight division and getting closer to another title shot after falling to Daniel Cormier in 2018.

Oleinik saw his two-fight winning streak - which included a recent victory over former champion Fabricio Werdum - come to an end. The 43-year-old is 2-3 over the past year-and-a-half.