Josh Hawkett announces betting partnership, no Derrick Lewis withdrawal

Josh Hawkett has announced a commercial partnership with an American sports betting exchange, putting to rest swirling speculation that linked his name to a Derrick Lewis withdrawal or a potential matchup involving Paulo Costa.

The deal is straightforwardly promotional in nature. Hawkett will produce behind-the-scenes content with the betting exchange throughout fight week, and the announcement carries no fight-related significance beyond that. The flurry of online speculation that preceded the reveal appears to have been unfounded.

Derrick Lewis, the 41-year-old American heavyweight ranked eighth in his division, had been at the center of the rumored news. Lewis carries a 29-14-0 record and competes out of Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai. Standing six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach, the fighter known as The Black Beast has built his reputation as one of the division's most dangerous knockout artists, averaging 2.46 significant strikes landed per minute across his career.

Paulo Costa was the other name caught up in the speculation. The 35-year-old Brazilian middleweight, ranked thirteenth in his division with a 16-4-0 record, trains out of Team Borracha. Known as The Eraser, Costa operates at a striking volume of 6.26 significant strikes per minute and posts a 58 percent striking accuracy, making him one of the more aggressive output fighters at 185 pounds.

Why it matters

• Neither Lewis nor Costa is affected by the announcement; their respective fight situations remain unchanged
• The clarification removes any uncertainty for fans and media tracking heavyweight and middleweight divisional movement
• The episode highlights how commercial announcements in fight week can generate outsized speculation when details emerge gradually