Derrick Lewis is a mixed martial artist from the United States. He was born in Louisiana and fights out of Cypress, Texas. He is a part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), fighting in the heavyweight division. Nicknamed, “The Black Beast”, he has been competing since 2010.
In addition to the UFC, Lewis has also competed in the Legacy FC and Bellator.
| Height / weight | 1.91 m / 120 kg |
| Born | 7 Feb 1985 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | The Black Beast |
Athlete Bio and Personal Life
Lewis was born on February 7, 1985, in New Orleans. His full name is Derrick James Lewis. He stands 6 feet 3 inches or 191 centimeters tall with an impressive reach of 201 cm or 79 inches. Lewis competes in the heavyweight division and his listed weight is 265 pounds or 120 kilograms.
Lewis has 6 brothers and sisters and was raised by a single mother. At a young age, he was often involved in street fights. He is married with two kids and currently resides in Cypress, Texas.
Beginnings and Early Career
When his family moved to Texas in his late teens, Lewis began learning how to box. He attended Kilgore College under a football scholarship but did not finish when he was made to serve jail time for aggravated assault.
When he got out of prison, he began participating in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and he received boxing training from legend George Foreman.
He made his amateur MMA debut in 2009. It was at the LSAMMA against Jay Ross. He would later go up against Tim Buchanan. He would turn pro in 2010 and would go on to sign with Bellator Fighting Championships.
His first fight under Bellator was against Tony Johnson. After Bellator, he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
UFC
He made his UFC debut in 2014. Fighters he faced early in his UFC career include Jack May, Guto Inocente, Matt Mitrione, Ruan Potts, Shawn Jordan, and Victor Pesta.
He has also gone up against Gabriel Gonzaga. Their 2016 fight earned Lewis a Performance of the Night honors. He would also win similar honors like the Fight of the Bonus for fights against Mark Hunt and Marcin Tybura.
Other notable UFC fighters he has faced include Fabricio Werdum, Francis Ngannou, Junior dos Santos, Ciryl Gane, and Vitor Belfort.
One of his latest fights was with Gane. It was held in August 2021, Gane won the fight and to the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship title.
Mixed Martial Arts Record
Total: 34
Wins: 25
Wins by Knockout: 20
Wings by Submission: 1
Wins by Decision: 4
Losses: 8
Losses by Knockout: 5
Losses by Submission: 1
Losses by Decision: 2
No Contests: 1