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UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis says his doctor actually advised him not to fight at UFC 247.
Heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis was able to keep himself on the winning track against Ilir Latifi at UFC 247. But on Monday’s episode of the Ariel Helwani Show, the “Black Beast” says he is actually dealing with a serious medical condition.
“Yeah, I will be available (to be backup for Ngannou vs Rozenstruik),” he said (transcript by MMA Mania). “But my coach wants me to get something checked out that came up in my medicals that has been hindering my training. We’re supposed to be keeping it on the down low, but I got to get it checked out.
“The UFC doctors know what it is and the doctors here in Houston know what it is. It’s just something that’s been going on that I got to get addressed. It’s a life-or-death situation serious.”
Lewis went on to add that his doctor actually advised him from competing on Saturday night, but was given the green light by the UFC medical staff.
And while not revealing anything other than it’s a condition that “happens to a lot of athletes,” he also said it had an effect on him in the first round.
“My doctor told me he thinks I shouldn’t have taken this last fight. He said in a situation like this he don’t think I should fight,” Lewis explained. “So I got a second opinion from the UFC doctors and they read everything and checked everything out. So they said it shouldn’t be a problem.
“I was worried, and then in the first round it happened, so I was like, ‘Okay,’” he said. “But I decided not to think about it.”
The 35-year-old fighter is now on a two-fight win streak and holds a record of 23-7 (with 1 NC and 19 wins by stoppage).