Taking a body shot from a pro MMA fighter is generally considered a bad idea. But when it’s coming from one of UFC’s most decorated knockout artists and a heavyweight like Derrick Lewis, that too on a fairly untrained guy, the consequences are a horror show.

A few days ago, former UFC fighter Mana Martinez uploaded a video on social media where his teammate, Derrick Lewis, who’s scheduled to fight Josh Hokit at UFC Freedom 250, folded a man with a picture-perfect body shot. The caption attached to the video, “HBD my dawg Max man,” gave away that the entire situation was related to some birthday shenanigans. After the guy went down to the canvas in immense pain, someone could be heard screaming from the background, “He can’t breathe! He can’t breathe!”

Within moments, the other team members helped the man named Max, who appeared to be one of Lewis’ training partners, back to his feet. However, the instant regret of taking that shot was written all over his face. Many may find the situation unusual, but people taking body shots from UFC fighters have actually been a part of social media culture for quite some time.

Other than Derrick Lewis, former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira also has a famous clip of shutting down a sparring partner with a powerful body shot. In fact, reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria also famously knocked down an untrained man with a body shot for a social media clip.

Even though Pereira and Topuria landed body shots on other willing participants, fans seemed far more concerned about how little Derrick Lewis appeared to hold back on the body shot. Reacting to the viral moment, the MMA world delivered a mix of concerned and hilarious reactions.    

Fans react as Derrick Lewis’ body shot challenge goes wrong  

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “Derrick Lewis nearly killed a man 💀.” Then another user commented, “oh yeah, nothing screams smart life choices like volunteering to spar with Lewis.” Keeping the same sentiment, another fan wrote, “Now why the hell would they want to get punched by the man with the most KOs in the heavyweight division.”

When it comes to pure knockout power, Derrick Lewis is one of the most vicious strikers ever. The Texas-based fighter currently holds 16 knockouts in the UFC’s heavyweight division, the most in the promotion’s history. So yes, volunteering to take a body shot from him probably wasn’t the wisest decision. However, one fan believed the shot wasn’t worth it unless there was a substantial payday attached to it.

A fan wrote, “Dude took that for the love of the game. I wouldn’t dare do that except for an excess amount of money.” Another fan interestingly commented, “This is how Harry Houdini died.”

For those unfamiliar, Harry Houdini, the famous Hungarian-American magician known for his remarkable escape acts, had a myth surrounding him that he could withstand immense amount of pain. To test that claim, a man named J. Gordon Whitehead punched Houdini in the stomach during a visit to the Princess Theatre in Montreal. Following the blow, a week and a half later, Houdini died as a result of a swelling in his abdomen, with many suspecting the punch as the reason for his untimely passing.

Following that reaction, one fan appeared to ask a genuine question: “Why would someone even put themselves in this situation?” Another user quickly replied with a simple answer: “Clout.”

To be fair, these challenges often go viral on social media, and people repeatedly volunteer to get punched by professional fighters because of the attention they generate. Frustrated by the trend, one fan wrote, “Wish he did so this stupidity would finally stop.” Well, that might be a little harsh.

With videos like these continuing to generate massive engagement, it wouldn’t be surprising to see body-shot challenges remain a fixture on social media. However, there is always the risk that someone could end up suffering a serious abdominal injury in the process.