Anyone who’s driven the 435 kms from Fort McMurray, Alberta to Edmonton understands that it isn’t the kind of thing you do just for a fun night out. So how is it that Fort McMurray-based MMA fighter Dwayne Lewis can come down to fight in the Maximum Fighting Championship - in the dead of a northern Canadian winter - and be followed by a legion of almost 300 fans?
Easily recognizable as a deafeningly loud sea of black “Team Lewis” t-shirts taking up most, if not all, of the floor seats at any MFC event, the grassroots phenomenon known as the Lewis Army is the type of thing that makes the Maximum Fighting Championship so special. How does something like this start? Ask Sandy Bowman, Dwayne’s manager and the owner of Bowman’s Mixed Martial Arts.
Realizing Dwayne’s popularity early on, Bowman was the one who came up with the “Team Lewis” t-shirts and started providing them to fans who bought MFC tickets from Bowman’s MMA. An instant hit with Fort McMurray’s MMA fans, the shirts caught the eye of Kevin from Shah-K-Mate Clothing, who saw them while watching an MFC event on HDNet. Shah-K-Mate now makes special designs in very limited runs for each of Dwayne’s fights. The effect is staggering. Imagine being a hometown fighter and having your own crowd outnumbered by out-of-towners all wearing the same shirt!
Of course it helps that Dwayne Lewis (11-4-0, 7 KOs, 3 subs) is an exciting fighter. “I’m comfortable standing up and throwing bombs”, says Lewis when asked about his fighting style. And it shows in the results. Nine of his eleven wins ended in the first round. Of his 15 fights, only five have gone into the second round.
This approach can come at a price though. Fighting Aron Lofton at MFC 17: Hostile Takeover, Lewis suffered a devastating knockout in the opening seconds of the first round. But since then he’s stormed back with a seven-fight winning streak, knocking out MMA legend Marvin “The Beastman” Easton in the process.
Heavy hands aren’t Dwayne’s only weapon though. Those writing Lewis off as a ferocious striker who’s just been lucky enough to have avoided fights with accomplished grapplers will be surprised to hear that not only is he a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rodrigo Munduruca, but also has a brown belt from Miletich Fighting Systems. Yes, Dwayne Lewis is a complete fighter.
But is a winning record enough to cultivate a fan base of Lewis Army proportions? There must be something else at work. Sandy Bowman attributes much of Dwayne’s popularity to a friendly nature that shows up regularly at the gym. “If Dwayne sees someone doing something incorrectly, whether it’s a housewife hitting the bag or a local kid doing padwork, he’ll stop what he’s doing to give them a hand.”
Talking to Lewis, one thing becomes clear right away - he is definitely not the stereotypical MMA fighter so often demonized in the media. He’s humble, down to earth, friendly, and, married with three kids, is a self-professed “family man”. He also reiterates Bowman’s sentiment about his giving nature by adding, “I love teaching more than fighting”.
When asked about his success in MMA, Lewis is quick to deflect praise away from himself and towards his core training team of Mike Ciesnolevicz, Sandy Bowman, Matt Jelly, and Rodrigo Munduruca. He also credits MFC CEO Mark Pavelich, who he says, “has been giving me support since I was basically a bum”. What was that we said about being humble?
So what’s in the future for Dwayne and the Lewis Army? “Just keep steaming forward”, Dwayne says. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Then come to MFC 25: Vindication on Friday, May 7 at the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta and watch Dwayne Lewis try to extend his winning streak to eight when he squares off against Mike Nickels. If you still don’t think it was worth the drive, tell that to the Lewis Army. Just be sure that you’re ready to duck.
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