Derrick Lewis recently expressed interest in one more attempt at the UFC heavyweight championship after his latest victory. Now in the twilight of his career, Lewis hopes to earn another opportunity to become champion.
Lewis, 40, secured an impressive 1st round TKO over Tallison Teixeira in the main event of UFC Nashville. The win marked his second consecutive TKO, 16th knockout overall, extending his UFC record. He is now 3-1 in his last four bouts and in a position.
The Black Beast has had two heavyweight title opportunities before. He lost to Daniel Cormier via submission in his first attempt and was stopped via TKO by Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in his second attempt.
After his latest win, Lewis made his intentions clear while speaking to reporters. He said he isn’t chasing favorable matchups to build his record. The Black Beast aims to enter the title mix by fighting contenders that will propel him into the title conversation.
Lewis entered UFC Nashville ranked No.9, so a bout against a top-5 opponent now seems realistic.
“I don’t want easy fights [like the one against Teixeira],” Lewis said in his post-fight press conference following UFC Nashville. “Of course, I would like to do one more run at the title. That’d be good.”
Dana White Discusses Derrick Lewis’ UFC Heavyweight Title Aspirations
Dana White shared his thoughts on Lewis’ position among the other contenders in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He highlighted the unique nature of the heavyweight division compared to other divisions, making The Black Beast’s goal attainable.
White praised Lewis’ performance and revealed that he even helped arrange a phone call with President Donald Trump.
He told reporters that Lewis stays relevant because of his star power and knockout ability. White also emphasized that heavyweight fights often come down to one big moment.
“I think that’s the way the heavyweight division has always been,” White said in his post-event press conference. “Some of them have to cut, but they don’t have to cut a lot of weight and the fight can turn with one punch. Whoever lands that big shot, and they were both trying to land them, and [Lewis] got [Teixeira].”
Lewis Discusses his Coach’s Impact on his Career
Lewis also discussed how his longtime coach has helped shape his career and mental preparation for his fights. Perez has been by his side throughout his career, including his highlight-reel wins and tough setbacks.
Lewis spoke about Perez’s calming presence and loyalty, calling their relationship rare in MMA. He said he fully trusts his coach’s judgment and values his honesty and decision making. Those qualities have built trust between them because he knows his coach has his best intentions at heart.
“Whenever I feel nervous or whatever, all I could do is just listen to [Perez’s] voice and he’s not going to steer me in the wrong direction,” Lewis said about his coach’s influence in his post-fight press conference. “If you know anything about MMA fighting period, you would know it’s a lot of coaches out there that’s in it for themselves. And I feel like with Bob, it’s not like that. He really care about me.”
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