“Derrick came over and said, ‘Where’s the President?’” Dana White recalled the wild at the post-fight presser. The exact moment when Derrick Lewis ended up talking to then-U.S. President Donald Trump on a phone call, all while Bruce Buffer was screaming his name as the winner. ‘The Black Beast’ etched his name even deeper into UFC history with a 35-second KO over Tallison Texeira at UFC Nashville, adding a 16th name to his knockout list. And now, it looks like Lewis might have gained some serious leverage with the UFC.

Not long after, the heavyweight KO artist was asked about his phone call with the US President. Lewis, with his trademark humor, called it “highly classified.” But he did let slip at the post-fight press conference that it was “something about terrorists and stuff,” stating he didn’t want his name on that list. While the full story remains a mystery for now, it may surface one day. Until then, one thing’s clear—not everything from that night is staying under wraps

After brutally knocking out his 6’7” opponent, Derrick Lewis joined the post-fight show on ESPN. Naturally, the Trump phone call came up again. With that signature cheeky grin, Lewis kept the mystery alive, saying, “It’s some things at work right now that I can’t tell you.” Which was also connected to him fighting at the UFC White House card. But when asked if he’s aiming for a title shot, the answer was crystal clear. “I ain’t getting no younger,” Lewis said. “Of course, I would like the title shot quickly.”

Well, Tom Aspinall might be getting ready to face the next best opponent now that Jon Jones has finally stepped down from the heavyweight throne. The 40-year-old juggernaut believes a quick turnaround in a month or two would be the ideal next step for him. However, he also added a twist—if the UFC dares to shelf him, he’ll turn to the most powerful man in the country to sort things out.

Lewis said, “Hopefully, next month or in two months, something like that. Hopefully, they don’t put me on the sidelines for a while. I’m going to have to call the president if they do.” The Houston native has built a massive fan following with hilarious one-liners like that. But it didn’t stop there. Aside from his mysterious call with the POTUS, Lewis was also genuinely surprised that he wasn’t the favorite heading into his bout with Tallison Teixeira at UFC Nashville. So, let’s dive into that too!

Derrick Lewis couldn’t believe he was the underdog at UFC Nashville main event

Derrick Lewis was never counted out as a force to be reckoned with in the UFC heavyweight division. However, his recent run, alternating between wins and losses, sparked doubts in the minds of fans about whether he could overcome a tall challenge like Tallison Teixeira at UFC Nashville. As a result, he opened as a two-to-one underdog against the Brazilian, something ‘The Black Beast’ just couldn’t seem to wrap his head around.

At the post-fight interaction, Lewis said, “I can’t believe I was an underdog against a guy like that.” The 265-pound powerhouse felt that his recent setbacks shouldn’t have defined him. Despite not being at his best in past outings, the 265-pound powerhouse stood firm on his legacy. “I’ve been in this sport for a long time, even though I had a couple of injuries or some things that came up lately. I still shouldn’t have been the underdog,” he added.

Indeed, the heavyweight division might just be the hardest to predict. One clean shot can change everything in a split second, and both fighters had more than enough firepower to make that happen. Still, seeing ‘The Black Beast’ come in as such a heavy underdog was surprising. Now, after that performance, it’ll be interesting to see if he enters his next fight as the favorite.

With that being said, who do you think Derrick Lewis should face next? Is he ready to take on champ Tom Aspinall? Or does he need to pass one more test before getting his shot at heavyweight gold? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!