Derrick Lewis ‘in a depression stage’ after UFC 216 removal: ‘I was crying like a big-ass baby’

Derrick Lewis is still lamenting about his last-minute removal from UFC 216.

Derrick Lewis was supposed to get the biggest break of his career at UFC 216 when he was slated to fight former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Instead, he was met with major disappointment when he was pulled from the fight last-minute due to a back injury.

Now nine days following the event, Lewis admits that he is still reeling from the displeasure that his fight cancellation has brought him.

“For sure, it was real depressing,” Lewis said on Monday’s MMA Hour episode (via MMA Fighting). “I took a big hit in my mental standpoint, it is way worse than a loss. It’s something that I never experienced and I hope it’s something that I never will experience ever again. I’m really in a depression stage right now.”

“I was crying like a big-ass baby. My coach knew how much this fight means to me and I didn’t want to pull out for nothing. My coaches, they all convinced me that it’s probably the best thing to do to pull out because they knew I was going through the same problems with Mark Hunt and I didn’t pull out in that fight and it cost me.”

Nothing has been set in stone as far his next move goes, but for Lewis, the sole priority as of the moment is to get himself healthy and not let such an incident happen again.

“Right now, anything is a possibility. We’re just waiting on MRIs right now before we can start my treatment because they want to see what’s the issue first,” Lewis said. “The doctor I talked to Thursday he said that he’s willing to release me anytime, it’s up to me, but I really want to take the precautions to see what’s really wrong with my back. I don’t want to happen again.”

“Even if it does happen again, I don’t want to go through the same feelings I went through pulling out of the fight and all that, going through that emotional mess. I’m still going to fight no matter what.”

Derrick Lewis is still lamenting about his last-minute removal from UFC 216.

Derrick Lewis was supposed to get the biggest break of his career at UFC 216 when he was slated to fight former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Instead, he was met with major disappointment when he was pulled from the fight last-minute due to a back injury.

Now nine days following the event, Lewis admits that he is still reeling from the displeasure that his fight cancellation has brought him.

“For sure, it was real depressing,” Lewis said on Monday’s MMA Hour episode (via MMA Fighting). “I took a big hit in my mental standpoint, it is way worse than a loss. It’s something that I never experienced and I hope it’s something that I never will experience ever again. I’m really in a depression stage right now.”

“I was crying like a big-ass baby. My coach knew how much this fight means to me and I didn’t want to pull out for nothing. My coaches, they all convinced me that it’s probably the best thing to do to pull out because they knew I was going through the same problems with Mark Hunt and I didn’t pull out in that fight and it cost me.”

Nothing has been set in stone as far his next move goes, but for Lewis, the sole priority as of the moment is to get himself healthy and not let such an incident happen again.

“Right now, anything is a possibility. We’re just waiting on MRIs right now before we can start my treatment because they want to see what’s the issue first,” Lewis said. “The doctor I talked to Thursday he said that he’s willing to release me anytime, it’s up to me, but I really want to take the precautions to see what’s really wrong with my back. I don’t want to happen again.”

“Even if it does happen again, I don’t want to go through the same feelings I went through pulling out of the fight and all that, going through that emotional mess. I’m still going to fight no matter what.”