Derrick Lewis is making a statement ahead of his heavyweight clash against Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324 on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 40-year-old knockout artist told UFC Embedded that he expects the fight to end quickly, possibly in the first exchange.
"Expect A Quick Fight": Derrick Lewis Chases Another KO At UFC 324
Lewis enters the bout with a 29-12 record and holds the UFC record for most knockouts in history with 16. His most recent performance backs up the confidence, as he demolished previously undefeated Tallison Teixeira in just 35 seconds at UFC Nashville in July 2025. That knockout gave Lewis back-to-back wins for the first time in several years and added to his reputation for explosive power. 'The Black Beast' explained:
I'm one of the best I've felt in a long time in one of my camps. I feel like I'm in great shape right now. I'm in better shape than I was my last fight, so I'm feeling good. What you're going to expect to see next Saturday is a quick fight. I believe I can really get him out of there in the first exchange. Don't worry about getting any sleep, because Saturday you will get plenty of sleep. I promise you that."
The training camp appears to have made a difference for Lewis. He weighed in at 261 pounds for the Teixeira fight, his lowest weight since 2014. Lewis extended his camp from the typical five weeks to three months, focusing on running six miles every other day to improve conditioning. At 40 years old, he ranks as the eighth-ranked heavyweight but has been in the division long enough to compile 20 UFC heavyweight wins, second only to Andrei Arlovski's 23.
Cortes-Acosta presents a different challenge. The fifth-ranked heavyweight from the Dominican Republic holds a 16-2 record and has fought six times in 2025. His activity level is remarkable especially by heavyweight standards. He won five straight fights between March and November 2025 before accepting the Lewis matchup. The 34-year-old stands 6'4" and has finished four of his nine UFC wins by knockout.
The matchup pits Lewis's one-punch power against Cortes-Acosta's youth and durability. Lewis has built a career on landing single fight-ending shots, often after absorbing damage earlier in fights.
UFC 324 marks the promotion's first numbered event under its new Paramount+ deal, replacing the previous pay-per-view model, with Justin Gaethje facing Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title in the main event.