Derrick Lewis opens up on how he is training for the biggest fight of his pro-MMA career on such short notice.
Daniel Cormier is slated to defend his heavyweight title against the hard-hitting heavyweight star in the headliner of UFC 230. Going into this fight, people have questioned the shape of Lewis’ cardio for this fight. He usually gets tired during a three-round fight but now, he could be going five rounds.
What shouldn’t be surprising is the way that Lewis is preparing for this fight. In fact, it’s the most Derrick Lewis-way possible based on his recent comments:
“Right now I’m a 2X. Usually I’m a 3X but I’m slimming down a little bit so I’m a 2X.” Lewis told The Rich Eisen Show recently (H/T to MMAFighting).
Key To Training
He stated that he’s been doing some serious cardio as well as an interesting tactic to work on his wrestling. He’s been taking part in a lot of sex in order to get ready for Cormier’s wrestling:
“I’ve been doing nothing but cardio. Even the sex. The sex really been helping my hips. I know Cormier is a wrestler. So you really got to get them hips down on him. So I’ve been working them hips really good.”
Lewis understands what kind of fight that he accepted. He knows what the UFC heavyweight champion is going to do, which is come out and try to wrestle him. This is a good game plan considering it only takes one shot for Lewis to win a fight:
“I think Cormier is gonna come out and try to wrestle me. Try to get me tired and try to push the pace,” Lewis said. “I know he might not say that I’m on his level. But I think I am and he thinking that I’m not, really.”
The hard-hitting heavyweight star has heard the rumblings that Cormier thinks this is an easy fight for him but vows to be well prepared:
“He’s thinking that it’s gonna be an easy fight for him, thinking that I don’t train hard like he does. Just because he’s an Olympic wrestler he’s thinking that it’s gonna be an easy fight for him.”
His Fighting Style
Lewis earned this title fight after posting an overall record of 12-3. He also won 9 of his last 10 fights including back-to-back wins over Alexander Volkov and Francis Ngannou. Still, some say he doesn’t deserve the fight, and Lewis said that was because of his fighting style:
“Of course they would say that [I don’t deserve it]. I guess just because my fighting style,” Lewis said. “Everyone else is a mixed martial artist.”
The title contender admitted he’s not an MMA artist but rather just a brawler when he steps inside of the Octagon:
“I’m not a mixed martial artist, I’m a brawler. Basically, I guess they just thinking I’ve been winning my fights just by luck. I just think I’ve been winning my fights on heart.”
The UFC 230 pay-per-view event is set to take place on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York City.
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