Derrick Lewis Pounds Out Travis Browne in Second Round of UFC Fight Night 105 Main Event

Derrick Lewis once again showed off the resolve and thunderous power that have made him a contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

Lewis (18-4, 9-2 UFC) mowed down Travis Browne with second-round punches in the UFC Fight Night 105 “Lewis vs. Browne” headliner on Sunday at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “The Black Beast” brought it to a close 3:12 into Round 2, with another unconscious opponent buried beneath him (online sportsbooks).

Browne had the former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder in real danger throughout much of the first round, as he slammed kicks into his body and legs. Lewis clutched at his midsection on multiple occasions and turned away from contact at one point after he absorbed a knee to the gut. He later floored Browne with an overhand right but retreated to his corner down on the scorecards.

Round 2 was a different story. Lewis sent the Hawaiian careening into the cage with a crushing left hook, swarmed with right uppercuts and then pancaked on a desperate takedown attempt. Ground-and-pound followed, but Browne (18-6-1, 9-6-1 UFC) escaped to his feet. Once there, he was met with a right hook to the crown of the head and hit the canvas in a dazed state. Lewis followed with a burst of brutal right hands, ultimately knocking “Hapa” unconscious.

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Hendricks Shines in Middleweight Debut

Team Takedown’s Johny Hendricks threw the brakes on a three-fight losing streak and shined in a new weight class, as he was awarded a unanimous decision over Hector Lombard in the middleweight co-main event. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, all for Hendricks (18-6, 13-6 UFC).

Lombard (34-7-1, 3-5 UFC) plowed into the clinch and let fly with some violent punching volleys but ran out of steam in the second and third rounds. Hendricks capitalized, as he tagged the American Top Team mainstay with powerful left hands and knees in the center of the cage. He did his best work in Round 3, where he further exploited the fading Lombard with clean punches, surprising knees and occasional leg kicks. A trip takedown from the onetime Olympian amounted to nothing, as Hendricks easily slipped out of danger and escaped to his feet.

The 39-year-old Lombard has not tasted victory in nearly three years.

Prospect Tucker Bewilders Sicilia

Former Extreme Cage Combat champion Gavin Tucker dazzled in his Octagon debut, as he took a one-sided unanimous verdict from “The Ultimate Fighter 15” graduate Sam Sicilia in their main-card scrap at 145 pounds. Tucker (10-0, 1-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27 nods across the board.

Sicilia (15-8, 5-7 UFC) struggled with the quickness, footwork and lateral movement of the newcomer. The Sikjitsu rep spent the majority of his time swinging at air, his frustration level increasing with each passing second. Tucker chewed up the inside of his lead leg with kicks, attacked the body and fired blinding punching combinations upstairs. The 30-year-old mixed in a third-round takedown for good measure.

The 31-year-old Sicilia has lost three fights in a row.

Once-Beaten Theodorou Outlasts Ferreira

“The Ultimate Fighter Nations” winner Elias Theodorou rode superior conditioning and output to a unanimous decision over Cezar Ferreira in a three-round middleweight feature. All three judges sided with Theodorou (13-1, 5-1 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Ferreira (11-6, 7-4 UFC) enjoyed some success in the first round with a few overhand lefts, sneaky counters and kicks to the leg and body. However, he lost his way in the second. Theodorou reversed position after a takedown, answered with one of his own and applied his ground-and-pound, all while shedding a pair of ill-advised guillotine attempts from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Ferreira saw his window of opportunity open and close in the third round, as he executed a takedown, advanced to the back, set his hooks and made a run at a rear-naked choke. Theodorou denied his advances, returned to his feet and relied on kicks and volume punching to get the job done.

The loss snapped Ferreira’s three-fight winning streak.

McMann Choke Submits Mazany

Sara McMann submitted Xtreme Couture export Gina Mazany with an arm-triangle choke in the first round of their women’s bantamweight showcase. A short-notice fill-in for the injured Liz Carmouche, Mazany (4-1, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 1:14 into Round 1.

McMann (11-3, 5-3 UFC) never gave the Octagon newcomer a chance. She punched into the clinch and struck for a pair of takedowns, climbing to full mount before latching a crushing arm-triangle choke. Mazany had no choice but to tap.

The 36-year-old McMann has rattled off three straight wins.

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Felder Smashes Ricci in Spectacular Stoppage

Former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Paul Felder put away Alessandro Ricci with a standing elbow strike and follow-up punches in a featured lightweight clash. Ricci (10-5, 0-2 UFC) bowed out 4:44 into Round 1, as he was finished for the first time in his 15-fight career.

A replacement for the injured Alvaro Herrera, Felder (13-3, 5-3 UFC) countered effectively and mixed in a spinning back elbow before setting up the stoppage. He caught Ricci moving forward with a vertical elbow strike that had the Canadian wincing in pain and retreating backward. Felder then sat him down with a knee strike and mopped up the rest with punches.

Felder, 32, has won three of his last four fights.