Daniel Cormier retained his UFC heavyweight title with a submission victory over Derrick Lewis.

Lewis earned the shot at the title after beating Alexander Volkov barely a month ago, but his quick return to the octagon failed to pay off after he tapped out in the second round of the clash in New York.

American Cormier controlled the bout from the start, grabbing a takedown after barely a minute in the first round.

Cormier got stung by a right hand from Lewis in the second but the champion soon had his opponent back on the canvas, a rear-naked choke finishing the job at 2.14.

With the the victory, Cormier has become the first man to defend both the light-heavyweight and heavyweight belts.

Quoted on the UFC website, Cormier said after the fight: “There are no surprises with me. I come in here and try to do my thing.

“If you come in here with a puncher’s chance, it’s not enough. You have to be one of the best in the world to be able to compete. Derrick is good, but he’s not at that level yet.”

Before the main event, Karl Roberson earned a convincing unanimous decision over Welshman Jack Marshman in their middleweight bout.

Marshman was looking to bounce back after his loss against Antonio Carlos Jr last month, but was denied after three rounds at Madison Square Garden.

Former kickboxer Roberson, on the back of suffering his first pro defeat against Cezar Ferreira at UFC 224, set the tone in the first round, attempting an early head kick which was blocked by Marshman.

Marshman struggled to land his punches and did his best to find his target with leg kicks, but was sent to the fence by a series of left hands from Roberson.

In the second, Marshman came out strong, unleashing a barrage of blows, but a takedown from Roberson looked to have secured him the round.

The 28-year-old continued to dominate with his left hand in the third, winning the decision victory 30-26, 30-26, 30-27.