Tag: Daniel Cormier vs. Derrick Lewis

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.

The post Derrick Lewis Opens Up On Cardio Training For Daniel Cormier Fight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Daniel Cormier thinks that he could still keep the UFC light heavyweight title even if he loses to Derrick Lewis.

This is an interesting fight for DC and some could even say that this is the easiest fight of his pro-MMA career. Cormier will defend his heavyweight belt against the hard-hitting veteran in the main event of UFC 230. As of this moment, technically, Cormier is still the current light heavyweight champion.

However, he won’t be for the champion for the division for much longer as the UFC has other plans. Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson meet for the vacant title come UFC 232 later this year. The promotion plans to strip Cormier of the title right before this show.

In the mind of Cormier, he thinks that the reason the UFC is stripping of the belt is due to their belief he has no current plans to defend it. However, if he loses to Lewis then that could all change because he would no longer be the heavyweight champ.

“Because if I lose to Derrick, then who is to say I don’t go, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go defend my light heavyweight title. Now you can’t take it,’” Cormier said to MMAFighting. “Maybe that adds a whole other part to the equation. You can’t take both of my belts if I lost that one. Right? So do I really have that much to lose if I have a second one? Look at it like that.”

Cormier has a certain plan in mind as he wants to beat Lewis then defend the heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar in early 2019.

With him already planning to retire in March, his fight against Lesnar would likely be his final bout. However, those plans could all change if he loses to Lewis.

“I am the light heavyweight champion until those guys fight,” Cormier said of Jones and Gustafsson. “So if the light heavyweight champion loses his heavyweight title and goes, ‘Wait I’m willing to defend my belt,’ now we have some conversations to have.”

The post Daniel Cormier Thinks He Could Still Keep Light Heavyweight Title If He Loses At UFC 230 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

NYSAC sounds off on concerns for Daniel Cormier and Derrick Lewis leading into their headlining fight at the UFC 230 pay-per-view event.

Daniel Cormier & Derrick Lewis Injuries

First up is the UFC heavyweight champion going on record earlier this week by saying that he’s still dealing with the effects of a broken finger that he suffered at UFC 226.

On the flip side, we have the hard-hitting title contender. The Nevada State Athletic Commission originally gave Lewis a 30-day medical suspension. Obviously, it would have not made Lewis eligible to return in time for this UFC 230 fight. However, the NSAC recently updated the document and it now shows Lewis with a 21-day suspension. Thus, he can fight.

NYSAC Sounds Off

“Our medical team may require additional medical checks for any specific fighter when warranted, and they do,” NYSAC spokesperson Lee Park told MMAjunkie.

Park would not comment on DC’s case further as Cormier initially was given a six-month suspension for his injured finger. Although, the UFC heavyweight champion is able to fight before that suspension is up if he can be cleared with a doctor’s note.

Lewis Challenges

The commission has put in for a request on more paperwork for Lewis, who has asked for his UFC 229 suspension to be reduced.

“He challenged his medical suspension in Nevada, an action permitted in pretty much all jurisdictions,” Park wrote. “Nevada then reduced his suspension to three weeks instead of one month. In light of this, NYSAC has asked for all new medical documentation to prove his fitness to be licensed in New York State.”

The Event

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 with the main card airing on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.

The post NYSAC Sounds Off On Health Concerns For Daniel Cormier & Derrick Lewis appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.