‘Once They Pay Me Good, I’m Down to Fight’- Derrick Lewis Explains His Reasons for Not Engaging in Trash Talk

Published 10/01/2021, 12:25 PM EDT

UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis sat down with Sean from First We Feast’s ‘Hot One’s and tried out a gauntlet of spicy chicken wings. ‘The Black Beast’ was asked a series of questions with each consecutive wing that was increasingly hotter on the Scoville scale. One question that fans wanted the answer to was regarding Lewis’ outlook before gearing up for a fight.

The Houston native is notoriously known to be a jokester in and out of the cage and he usually doesn’t engage in trash talk. Derrick Lewis prefers to let his fists do the talking as is clear through his record-setting KO rate in the UFC. Lewis detailed his temperament when heading into a fight and let his priorities be known.

“I approach it [the fight game] differently. Most of them guys try to be the best fighters in the world and stuff like that. I don’t care about being the best fighter in the world. All I care about is the check. Once they pay me good, I’m down to fight whoever.”

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It’s no surprise that Derrick Lewis prioritizes the paycheck above all else as he’s been vocal about the same. For the longest time, he never even expressed any interest to compete for the undisputed championship. Despite his nonchalant outlook towards the title, Lewis has fought for the belt on two separate occasions in his career.

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Can Derrick Lewis reach the apex in his career?

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The KO king of the UFC is 0-2 in title fights and he’s fresh off an interim title fight loss to Ciryl Gane. He’s already booked to face Chris Daukaus in December and fans are expecting nothing short of a violent knockout.

Lewis has been a destructive force under the bright lights, but he seems to crack under pressure in big spots. Notably, he hasn’t looked like himself when he’s fought fighters like Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, and most recently, Gane.

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In order to continue raking in the massive paychecks, Derrick Lewis will be keen to bring in emphatic KO’s regularly. If he manages to etch wins under his belt, he’ll soon find himself right back on the block for contention.

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

‘Once They Pay Me Good, I’m Down to Fight’- Derrick Lewis Explains His Reasons for Not Engaging in Trash Talk

Can Derrick Lewis reach the apex in his career?

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