Derrick Lewis already has the most knockouts in UFC heavyweight history, but he believes, after losing a few pounds more, he could be even scarier if he puts next foot in the octagon.
The Houston resident blocked out the UFC Vegas 6 card on Saturday night with a punishing performance, finishing Aleksei Oleinik with brutal punches in the second round. Before the fight, Lewis set up his training regime, and although he tipped the scales at 265 pounds, he looked in better shape than almost any of his previous UFC fights.
According to Lewis, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential now that he’s approaching his fighting career with a little more focus and discipline.
“I owe it to the fans,” Lewis said at the press conference after the fight. ‘I owe it to everyone who supports me. I had to take it really seriously than I have been. ‘
Lewis has said in the past that he is not the most dedicated fighter when it comes to his training sessions. But now, he seeks to change that.
With plans to drop another 15 or 20 pounds before re-entering, Lewis expects an even better display when he returns to the UFC for his next fight.
“I really ate what I wanted and just spent a lot longer training than 30 minutes in this camp,” Lewis said. “We just trained a lot more. I still have food from bass [fish], still food from Popeye’s and such things. Just more training. For sure I will be much faster, much rougher, much more aggressive and all.
“I definitely need to drop 15, 20 pounds to feel comfortable there, and you’ll really see something scared of me for sure.”
While his immediate plans include a return home to see his family, followed by diet and training to get his weight in order, Lewis knows that as the No. 4 ranked heavyweight, there are many options for his next fight.
He mentioned names like Francis Ngannou and Alistair Overeems as potential opponents, but he had barely left the octagon before fellow heavyweight Curtis Blaydes called him out.
Judging by his comments, Lewis would happily accept that challenge.
“That would be perfect to fight Curtis afterwards,” Lewis said. “All he will do is try to grab and hold me and try to win a decision. He will not try to complete me. If he tries to finish me off, that’s fine, but I believe I can take Curtis down and punish him on the ground.
‘Yes, put that on the header. Make the headlines, go ahead. Type it. Those are headers right there. I’ll take Curtis Blaydes down and finish him off. ”
