LAS VEGAS — When it was announced that Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis would fight at UFC 226, the prevailing thought was that judges wouldn't be necessary because there was no way the two sluggers would go the distance.
Boy, were we wrong.
In one of the most bizarre fights in recent memory between fighters who are known for their vicious knockout power, Lewis defeated Ngannou by unanimous decision. There really was no winner in this one, however.
Ngannou and Lewis stared at each other throughout the three-round affair. The fireworks everyone expected were nowhere to be found. Jeers filled T-Mobile Arena as fans entertained themselves by waving their cell phones, chanting "Fight!" and doing the wave. Even referee Herb Dean had to step in during the second round and tell the two heavyweights to fight.
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They didn't.
Lewis only won the fight because he decided to be just a little more active. Bizarrely, the portly heavyweight decided that his offense would be composed mostly of kicks. Ngannou, who was once deemed the future of the heavyweight division, did absolutely nothing.
What made this outing even more head-scratching was that Ngannou wasn't knocked out in his loss to heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. There was no reason for him to be gun-shy against an opponent who was slower than anybody he had fought, and yet, the owner of a savage knockout against Alistair Overeem was frozen in time.
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The first round consisted of Lewis uncharacteristically throwing kicks and Ngannou not capitalizing on the openings presented. Instead, he stood pat and hoped that The Black Beast would overcommit. That never happened.
The second round was more of the same. Ngannou stood in front of Lewis and Lewis occasionally threw a leg kick. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to win the round. A restless crowd let the two hulking heavyweights have it, but not even that displeasure could get the fighters to open up.
The final round was another repeat. Lewis tried to engage with 20 seconds remaining but that couldn't undo the damage caused in the first 14 1/2 minutes. When the final horn mercifully sounded and the decision was read for Lewis, neither fighter was interviewed and both immediately left the cage to jeers from irate spectators.
What was thought to be a surefire heavyweight throwdown ended up being the most disappointing fight of the year.
