Latest news with #DerrickLewis
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Derrick Lewis glad to be 'fighting taxi cab drivers' in UFC: 'I ain't trying to get no title shot, hell nah'
Derrick Lewis is back — and he knows his place in the current UFC heavyweight division. The fan-favorite Lewis hasn't fought since since earning a third-round knockout of Rodrigo Nascimento in May 2024, however "The Black Beast" returns to action on July 12 when he steps into his 13th career UFC main event, headlining UFC Nashville opposite Tallison Teixeira. A successful night for Lewis would put him on his first win streak since 2021. Advertisement Currently seated No. 9 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, Lewis said Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he's content taking his time beating relative promotional newcomers like Teixeira. "I ain't trying to get no title shot, hell nah," Lewis said. "I want to just continue fighting taxi cab drivers right now. Then we can start talking about title shots. "We'll see how active they try to keep me." Lewis, 40, was expected to fight sooner, as he was previously scheduled to face Alexander Romanov this past November. Shortly after the bout was made official, UFC changed Lewis' opponent to Jhonata Diniz, but then that fight fell through when Lewis suffered a non-weight-related medical issue on weigh-in day. Advertisement When discussing the withdrawal, Lewis joked about severe cramps as his reason for not fighting. After months of "begging," Lewis is simply glad to get back in the Octagon and didn't care who it came against. "A lot of guys didn't want to fight, and the guys that did, they already had fights booked. It's other stuff that's behind it. It's politics. It's also scripted," Lewis said, joking. "It's part of the script. You know, the whole UFC is scripted. It's part of the plan. On July 12, they want me to win, first-round knockout, so it's part of the script. Whoever wanna make that bet, go ahead and make that bet. "It didn't matter who [was next]," Lewis continued. "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 broke the UFC's all-time record for most knockout wins (14) against Marcos Rogerio de Lima in 2023, he had finished his UFC contract. His ensuing — albeit brief — free agency period led Lewis to entertain the idea of a rematch against his old foe, Francis Ngannou, in the PFL. But ultimately the UFC's offer was better, and locked Lewis in for eight more fights at the time of signing. He now has six left. Advertisement Lewis has challenged for UFC gold on two occasions, losing via rear-naked choke to Daniel Cormier in 2018 and then losing to Ciryl Gane in 2021 for the interim title. The Texan never expected he'd be fighting into his 40s, but with this current trajectory, he can see his career extending for another decade. "I can continue fighting these taxi-cab fighters, these newcomers coming in who want to get their name," Lewis said. "I like fighting guys like that right now. Keep 'em coming. "Once they hit me with that contract, I said, 'S***, I could fight until I'm 50. Let's go. Let's do it.'" Assuming Lewis does stick around for years to come, you'd think another eventual title shot would enter his mind if he finds success. With all the turmoil atop the division between the champions Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, however, Lewis couldn't be any less concerned with finding his way into the mix. "I don't give a damn what they got going on," Lewis said of the UFC heavyweight title picture. "S***, I'm barely in the top 10. I'm way down there. I'm nobody right now. So I'm not worried about them. If that's what they want to do, let them do that."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Derrick Lewis suggests unique method to stop UFC heavyweights from calling him out
Derrick Lewis is tired of being called out by so many UFC heavyweights. Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) faces Tallison Teixeira (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 70 headliner on July 12 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Several heavyweights, including Waldo Cortes-Acosta, were hoping to draw "The Black Beast" but didn't get their wish. Advertisement The former UFC title challenger has proven he'll face anyone but shared an explicit, but humorous, method to ensure people no longer desire to fight him. "I think what I need to start doing now, once I knock guys out, is start putting my finger in their ass," Lewis told MMA Junkie. "You know, so people don't want to call me out afterwards. If I start putting my finger in my opponent's ass while they knocked out on the ground, I don't think nobody want to call me out anymore – no Diddy. If that's what I have to do for people to stop calling me out, talking sh*t about me when I'm trying to chill. Let me chill." Lewis holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history. His resume includes fights against Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, and Ciryl Gane, but he has lately been matched up against rising contenders, most recently finishing Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC on ESPN 56. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC's Derrick Lewis has unique way to stop callouts from heavyweights
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Derrick Lewis suggests unique method to stop UFC heavyweights from calling him out
Derrick Lewis suggests unique method to stop UFC heavyweights from calling him out Derrick Lewis is tired of being called out by so many UFC heavyweights. Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) faces Tallison Teixeira (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 70 headliner on July 12 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Several heavyweights, including Waldo Cortes-Acosta, were hoping to draw "The Black Beast" but didn't get their wish. The former UFC title challenger has proven he'll face anyone but shared an explicit, but humorous, method to ensure people no longer desire to fight him. "I think what I need to start doing now, once I knock guys out, is start putting my finger in their ass," Lewis told MMA Junkie. "You know, so people don't want to call me out afterwards. If I start putting my finger in my opponent's ass while they knocked out on the ground, I don't think nobody want to call me out anymore – no Diddy. If that's what I have to do for people to stop calling me out, talking sh*t about me when I'm trying to chill. Let me chill." Lewis holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history. His resume includes fights against Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, and Ciryl Gane, but he has lately been matched up against rising contenders, most recently finishing Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC on ESPN 56.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Derrick Lewis Says He Nearly Had To Beg To Get UFC Nashville Fight
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 11: (L-R) Derrick Lewis battles Rodrigo Nascimento of Brazil in a ... More heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Enterprise Center on May 11, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Derrick Lewis, who holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history, has his next fight booked. However, the former UFC heavyweight title challenger, who has not set foot inside the Octagon for more than a year, said securing the UFC Nashville main event fight opposite Tallison Teixeira was not easy. "It's crazy that nobody's fighting right now," Lewis recently told MMA Junkie. "Heavyweight, I don't know what's going on. I damn near had to beg to get this fight, so I don't know what's going on. Hopefully we can stay active after this." UFC Nashville takes place on July 12 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Lewis (28-12-0-1) is the No. 9 fighter in the official UFC heavyweight rankings. The 40-year-old former UFC title challenger is coming off a May 2024 knockout win over Rodrigo Nascimento. Lewis, who owns the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 15, is 2-4 in his past six trips to the Octagon dating back to February 2022. Lewis has been with the UFC since 2014. He also has the UFC record for most finishes in the heavyweight division with 15. No active UFC heavyweight has as many fights in the Octagon as Lewis does at 29. Lewis has a UFC heavyweight record eight fight-night bonus awards. Lewis was scheduled to face Jhonata Diniz in November, but he was forced to withdraw from that contest after he had weighed in because of an undisclosed medical issue. Teixeira (8-0) joined the UFC in 2024 with a knockout win on a Dana White Contender Series card. The 25-year-old made his official UFC debut in February 2025, scoring a first-round knockout and a "Performance of the Night" bonus in a win over Justin Tafa. The UFC is wasting no time in throwing Teixeira into the deep end of the heavyweight pool, giving him a veteran opponent in a main event contest. All eight of Teixeira's career wins have come via first-round stoppage (seven knockouts, one submission). He has been a pro since 2021. He is ranked No. 14 in the UFC's heavyweight weight class. Lewis said of Teixeira, "I know he's Brazilian, and he's a tall guy. He's a heavyweight, so pretty sure he's got knockout power. I didn't watch any of his fights yet, nothing like that, but my coach told me he's got a lot of first-round knockouts. ... I've been training for like four months now, non-stop really, down to every day, and I never did that before. I'm coming into this fight, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in great shape. My six pack will be back." "Yeah, I'm comfortable," Lewis added. "I like fighting tall guys. It aligns with my right hand. The way I throw my right hand, it aligns with it." We will have more information on Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira and the UFC Nashville fight card as information becomes available. The UFC Fight Night card is airs on ESPN and ESPN+.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen Thompson vs Gabriel Bonfim Official for UFC Nashville Card
Stephen Thompson vs Gabriel Bonfim Official for UFC Nashville Card originally appeared on Athlon Sports. UFC Nashville is shaping up to be one of the summer's most action-packed cards. Scheduled for July 12 at Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee, the event is anchored by a heavyweight headliner featuring knockout artist Derrick Lewis taking on Brazil's towering powerhouse, Tallison Teixeira. As anticipation builds for that slugfest, the UFC has now added another compelling matchup to the lineup—one that could mark a career crossroads for a beloved veteran and a pivotal proving ground for a fast-rising prospect. Advertisement Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson 42, is set to face Gabriel 'Marretinha' Bonfim 27, from Brazil in a welterweight clash announced via the UFC's official X account. Thompson, once known for his elusive striking and karate-based style, is currently riding a two-fight skid, including a recent defeat to Joaquin Buckley at UFC 307. With questions looming about his future, this fight may very well determine if he remains a contender or fades into the background. Stephen ThompsonGetty Images On the other side, Bonfim enters the bout with momentum. After submitting Khaos Williams in his last outing, he extended his UFC record to 5-1, with his only loss coming to Nicolas Dalby in 2023. Gabriel BonfimGetty Images A win over a decorated name like Thompson could fast-track Bonfim into the division's top 15 and bolster his reputation as a legitimate force at 170 pounds. UFC CEO Dana WhitePhoto by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images UFC President Dana White continues his push to build strong summer lineups, and this latest welterweight matchup adds more depth, attention, and significance to an already exciting and competitive Nashville card that continues to gain momentum. Advertisement Related: 'He's Overrated' – Jon Jones Fires at Former UFC Interim Champion Related: UFC Veteran Teases Date for Heavily Pursued Conor McGregor Showdown This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
