Derrick Lewis claims he will be at 100 percent for November’s UFC 230, and he warns heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier to take him seriously.
Lewis is fresh off a remarkable come-from-behind knockout victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC 229. That fight was not even two weeks ago.
Regardless, “The Black Beast” will step right into the main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. And although Lewis may still have some swelling on his face from the war with Volkov, he promises to be in the best shape of his life.
Lewis’ Health
“I will be 100 percent going into this fight,” Lewis today said at a UFC 230 media event in Las Vegas via MMAjunkie. “I went to the doctor and got cleared. Everything checked out pretty good. They basically said I was good to fight.”
Lewis very well may be in peak physical condition come November 3, but can “DC” show up in the same shape?
Cormier has been dealing with a lingering hand injury that he suffered back at UFC 226 when he defeated Stipe Miocic. The performance earned “DC” the heavyweight title but may have caused some lasting damage.
Lewis thinks “DC” may be taking him lightly or underestimating him. For that, “The Black Beast” has a stern warning for the champ-champ.
“The Black Beast’s” Warning
“I believe he’s thinking this is going to be an easy fight for himself,” Lewis said. “Go ahead and think that. It’s crazy I even made it this far without he training I put in before each and every fight. I’m serious, I don’t stay in the gym each day like my opponents. I spend probably 30 minutes (training), five minutes sitting and five minutes on my phone posting memes and stuff.
“I go into every fight with a bad back and overweight and a damn-near diabetic. It doesn’t matter to me that he’s coming into a fight with just a bad hand. That’s good for him, then.”
The 33-year-old Lewis is a most unlikely title challenger. Don’t His record speaks for itself, as winning nine of 10 fights in the heavyweight division is unheard of. However, it is Lewis’ personality that has fast-tracked his title hopes.
But even Lewis agrees Miocic should’ve been next in line for a title shot.
“It’s just one (opportunity) that I can’t pass up because I know there’s a lot of guys in this division that probably deserve a shot more than I’m getting,” Lewis said. “I probably don’t deserve a shot more than Stipe, should have probably got the shot. But, ain’t no telling when the next time I’m going to get this opportunity, so I had to jump on it anyway.”
In the past, Lewis has been open about his lackluster performances, admitting he slacked in preparation for some of his past fights. Lewis has also stated he needed more cardio training before a title shot, but a shot at Cormier was too good to pass up.
But according to “The Black Beast” he is pushing himself to new limits ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
An Honest Assessment
“As long as I’m 100 percent, I’m in good shape. I don’t care what he’s going to do or what he thinks he can do,” Lewis said. “I’m just going to worry about what I can do. … If you don’t take me serious, it’s a mistake. I want him to take me serious, I don’t want no excuses or nothing like that. I can’t wait for that fight.”
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