Derrick Lewis is again– and he understands his space within the present UFC heavyweight division.
The fan-favorite Lewis hasn’t battled contemplating that contemplating that making a third-round ko of Rodrigo Nascimento in May 2024, nonetheless “The Black Beast” return to exercise on July 12 when he enters his thirteenth job UFC centerpiece, headlining UFC Nashville contraryTallison Teixeira An efficient night for Lewis will surely place him on his preliminary win contact contemplating that 2021.
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Currently seatedNo 9 within the UFC heavyweight positions, Lewis acknowledged Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” that he’s materials taking his time defeating cherished one promoting newbies like Teixeira.
“I ain’t trying to get no title shot, hell nah,” Lewis acknowledged. “I need to simply proceed combating taxi cab drivers proper now. Then we are able to begin speaking about title pictures.
“We’ll see just how energetic they attempt to maintain me.”
Lewis, 40, was anticipated to struggle sooner, as he was beforehand scheduled to face Alexander Romanov this previous November. Shortly after the bout was made official, UFC modified Lewis’ opponent to Jhonata Diniz, however then that struggle fell via when Lewis suffered a non-weight-related medical problem on weigh-in day.
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When discussing the withdrawal, Lewis joked about extreme cramps as his purpose for not combating. After months of ” asking,” Lewis is just glad to get again within the Octagon and didn’t care who it got here towards.
” A substantial amount of people actually didn’t intend to cope with, and the people that did, they at the moment had truly battles reserved. It’s varied different issues that lags it. It’s nationwide politics. It’s moreover scripted,” Lewis stated, joking. “It’s part of the manuscript. You acknowledge, the whole UFC is scripted. It’s part of the technique. On July 12, they want me to win, first-round ko, so it belongs to the manuscript. Whoever wan na make that wager, go on and make that wager.
“It didn’t matter who [was next],” Lewis proceeded. “The Dominican dude that say he’s not Black, he’s Dominican, he called me out (Waldo Cortes-Acosta). I would want to fight him. That would have been good to fight him in March, whenever they were looking for a main event then. I wanted to fight him then. I’ve been training for four months straight.”
When Lewis broken the UFC’s all-time doc for lots of knockout success (14) versus Marcos Rogerio de Lima in 2023, he had truly accomplished his UFC settlement. His following– albeit fast– complimentary firm length led Lewis to captivate the idea of a rematch versus his previous enemy, Francis Ngannou, within the PFL. But inevitably the UFC’s deal was a lot better, and secured Lewis in for 8 much more battles on the time of finalizing. He at the moment has 6 left.
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Lewis has truly examined for UFC gold on 2 celebrations, shedding by the use of rear-naked choke to Daniel Cormier in 2018 and after that shedding to Ciryl Gane in 2021 for the appearing title. The Texan by no means ever anticipated he will surely be combating proper into his 40s, but with this present trajectory, he can see his job prolonging for an extra years.
“I can continue fighting these taxi-cab fighters, these newcomers coming in who want to get their name,” Lewis acknowledged. “I like combating guys like that proper now. Keep ’em coming.
“Once they strike me keeping that agreement, I stated,’S ***, I can deal with till I’m 50. Let’s go. Let’s do it.’”
Assuming Lewis does stick round for years to come back, you’d assume one other eventual title shot would enter his thoughts if he finds success. With all of the turmoil atop the division between the champions Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, nonetheless, Lewis couldn’t be any much less involved with discovering his method into the combo.
” I apathetic what they began on,” Lewis stated of the UFC heavyweight title image. ” S ***, I’m hardly within the main 10. I’m means down there. I’m nobody now. So I’m not fretted about them. If that’s what they intend to do, enable them do this.”
