Derrick Lewis still believes he’s one of the best heavyweights around.
The current record holder for most knockouts in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history is back in action this weekend (Sat., Feb. 4, 2023) at UFC Vegas 68, looking to snap a rough two-fight losing streak. Lewis, 37, aims to extend his record with another big knockout over Moldova’s Sergey Spivak.
While the match up is winnable in the eyes of several within the community, a former opponent of Lewis’, Daniel Cormier, feels the “Black Beast” has eclipsed his best days.
“I guess because they felt my work ethic wasn’t there,” Lewis said at UFC Vegas 68 media day. “They felt I wasn’t taking myself serious or the fight game serious or whatever. So, I don’t blame them. I gotta go out there and prove everyone that I can still do this. I can still be in the Top 5.
“I don’t give a damn what ‘DC’ says,” he concluded. “I seen that bulls—t. I guess you gotta say that whenever you got high cholesterol. F—k it. I still feel like I can be in the Top 5.”
Lewis’ lone career title opportunity came against Cormier in a Nov. 2018 short-notice encounter. Cormier crushed the fan-favorite’s dreams, submitting Lewis via a second-round rear-naked choke submission. The Texas native has gone 5-4 in his nine fights since (26-10, 1 no contest overall).
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 68 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 1 a.m. ET.
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