What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Swangin' and bangin' into the record books

Derrick Lewis is a rather extraordinary figure in UFC history. He competes more frequently than any heavyweight and because of that has quickly made an imprint on the record books. He achieved the big one on Saturday, though, setting a new mark for most knockouts in heavyweight history with his TKO of Aleksei Oleinik.

Lewis’ power is the ultimate game changer, as we’ve seen time and time again. Whether it’s handing Alexander Volkov a dosage of fist-to-face late in a bout he was definitively losing, or taking a small opening to blast Oleinik after engaging in a grappling-heavy affair, Lewis doesn’t need much opportunity to finish a fight.

Lewis was as humble as it gets when discussing his place in UFC history after the fight. He was slightly taken aback to be the new bar setter in the division where knockouts are most prevalent, but he’s put in the work to get there.

It was an epic night for Lewis, and although it remains to be seen where this win – which was his third straight – takes him, there’s little doubt he’s only going to build on his record in future fights.

2. Oh so close for Aleksei Oleinik

Aleksei Oleinik had Lewis right where he wanted him – not just once, but on several occasions in the main event. The grappling ace couldn’t have asked for better positions to work his game on “The Black Beast,” but his litany of tricks didn’t work out this time.

Oleinik tried mightily to rip Lewis’ head off his shoulders for his 60th career win, but to no avail. That’s got to be a tough pill to swallow, especially after allowing Lewis to turn the tide and finish the fight early in the second round.

At 43, this felt like Oleinik’s moment to get a signature win that could elevate him to title contention. It didn’t materialize, but it doesn’t appear the Russian intends on going anywhere. He said pre-fight he still has several years left in the game, and although he couldn’t make his moves work on Lewis, there are still fighters out there the veteran can be more effective against.

3. Chris Weidman rebounds

No one, including Chris Weidman, would claim that his performance against Omari Akhmedov was anything special. Weidman won by unanimous decision, though, and that extends his life as a relevant name in the sport.

It got dicey for a bit, with Weidman in the middle stages of the contest. Akhmedov put it on him in the second round, and it was a big question of whether he’d be able to overcome adversity. Weidman did, and that alone is telling at this point in his career.

If we’re being honest, Weidman did nothing to show he’s going to be a top middleweight again. What he did, though, is prove he can compete with solid competition. It’s very clear Weidman is not done with this portion of his life, and he wants to continue fighting as long as possible. A loss here would’ve put him in a real rough spot, but winning extends his life in the sport longer.

With some pressure off his shoulders, perhaps Weidman will be able to perform a little more loosely next time out. But judging off that performance, he’s going to have his hands full against anyone higher than Akhmedov in the rankings.

4. Beneil Dariush nets another highlight

OK, this Beneil Dariush highlight reel is getting pretty loaded with sick finishes. If you thought his brilliant knockout of Drakkar Klose in March was nice, then the spinning backfist stoppage of Scott Holtzman takes the cake as his best.

Dariush produced one of the more memorable knockouts of 2020 so far when he absolutely flattened Holtzman in the first round of their catchweight bout, and now Dariush has won five straight.

Looking at the landscape of the UFC lightweight division, Dariush has to be regarded as one of the more underrated names. He missed weight for this one, though, and that can’t happen again. Hopefully giving up 20 percent of his purse and losing out on a guaranteed $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus teaches him that lesson.

Dariush has fallen short just once in his past seven fights, and that was the memorable 42-second defeat to Alexander Hernandez in March 2018. He’s reeled off five in a row since then, though, and with stoppages in the past four. With that body of work, Dariush deserves another crack at a top name at 155 pounds.

5. Kevin Holland redeems himself

Last week in this same column, I bashed Kevin Holland pretty good for the classless manner in which he handled Trevin Giles’ mystery blackout that caused their middleweight fight to be canceled at the last minute at UFC on ESPN+ 31.

It wasn’t a good look, but he largely erased that moment by creating a new one against Joaquin Buckley.

After his fight with Giles was called off, UFC put Holland right back in there seven days later for the matchup with Buckley, a promotional newcomer. Holland was sharper than he’s ever been, and he picked his opponent apart until he landed a dynamite right hand that put Buckley out on impact and sent his mouth guard flying.

Holland was rightfully rewarded a $50,000 bonus for his effort, and his charisma again shined through during his post-fight media rounds. Let’s have more of that, please, and less of the trashy hypothesizing about another fighter’s potentially serious medical issue.