Athletes
Derrick Lewis Always Believes In His Power
UFC Knockout King Derrick Lewis Knows His Back Is Against The Wall At UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje, And He Intends to Turn Things Around In A Massive Way
Derrick Lewis is nothing if not self-aware. Sure, the UFC’s knockout king is an artist when it comes to finishing opponents, and he is a fan favorite because of a wry and unpredictable sense of humor, but he also understands his own foibles.
So, when he talks about his 11-week fight camp being the longest of his career and swears he spent most of it on conditioning, he earnestly means he has focused the better part of three months on his gas tank.
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“I always say this during fight week, “Condition this, condition that,’ but this, for sure, was about strong conditioning,” Lewis told UFC.com.
Derrick Lewis | Greatest Hits
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Derrick Lewis | Greatest Hits
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Lewis and his team arrived in Utah early to acclimate to the altitude that negatively impacts a fighter’s conditioning, and he feels like the extended time near Salt Lake City will bode well.
That said, the work started back in Houston, and Lewis credits the circle around him for extending his limits leading up to his matchup with Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2.
UFC 291 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | Poirier vs Gaethje | Błachowicz vs Pereira
“I believe it all has to do with my coaches, my diet and my family support,” he said. “I believe that's all that has really been pushing me this camp.”
To say this is a crucial fight for Lewis is to put it lightly. “The Black Beast” dropped four of his last five, all via finish. While the slate of opponents (Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich and Sergey Spivak) is nothing to hang one’s head about, they are losses, nonetheless.
Best Mic Moments | Derrick Lewis
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Best Mic Moments | Derrick Lewis
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At 38 years old, Lewis is in a bit of a must-win situation, especially if he wants to stay within striking distance of the title picture. To do so, he’ll need to dispatch Lima and end the Brazilian’s run of four wins in his last five. After flirting with light heavyweight, Lima is 6-3 since moving back up to the heavyweight division.
How To Watch UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2
“He's a power striker,” Lewis said of his opponent. “He loves leg kicks and stuff like that. He will grapple here and there, but I think the weakness is just whatever I throw at him, I don't think he will be able to handle and he's just going to give up.”
That’s the quote of a man who heartily believes in his power and with good reason. Of Lewis’ 26 professional wins, 21 have come via knockout. He’ll need every ounce of that power to extinguish Lima, though, who has only been knocked out once in 30 professional fights.
Should he get the job done, Lewis joked about taking a quick liking to Utah and needing to come back in the wintertime, despite never skiing or snowboarding in his life, so a bunny slope or two might be in the near future for the former heavyweight title challenger.
Until then, he just wants to get his hand raised for the first time since December 2021, which included two losses in his home state of Texas. He can already imagine the elation he’s going to feel on July 29, and he can already see how the celebration is going to play out afterward.
“It'll be a long time coming,” Lewis said. “I'll be so excited. I'm gonna kiss everybody that's in the (Octagon) whenever I get this win, so it's going to be so exciting.”
UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2 took place live from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 29, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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