UFC heavyweight top contender Derrick Lewis is renowned for his humorous personality, but when asked about his last loss in front of his home crowd on the UFC 271 media day, he gave a heartfelt answer.
In conversation with the media ‘The Black Beast’ got asked about his loss back in August against Ciryl Gane
Answering the question, Lewis revealed his softer side, explaining that he was putting a tremendous amount of pressure on himself due to the significance of the day of the fight which coincided with the 13-year anniversary of his release from prison.
“Man it was just overwhelming, fighting in my hometown, all that pressure I had on me. I put all that pressure on myself. It would have made it what 13 years? Since the day I got out of prison. It would’ve made 13 years on the day I got out of prison. And winning the title for the UFC heavyweight champion, I put so much pressure on myself it was just nerve-wracking,” admitted Lewis.
The UFC knockout king used to have some troubles with the law during his younger days.
When he was 19, Lewis was placed on two years probation for aggravated assault after having a clash with a member of the Klu Klux Clan, leaving his opponent blinded in one eye even though he was in possession of a shotgun.
During his probation, he tried to do better and pursued a college education at Kilgore College on a full football scholarship. Unfortunately for him, he was found guilty of violating his probation, resulting in a 5-year prison sentence of which he served three and a half years.
Now years after the murky past, Lewis has found a place where he belongs, as one of the most entertaining and crowd-favorite fighters in the UFC. He also married his long-time girlfriend in 2017, together, they have two sons and a daughter.
Lewis also recounted the fight that landed him in jail during his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience:
“I have been imprisoned and stuff like that. Did three-and-a-half years in prison for aggravated assault. I ended up getting probation for that. I ended up playing that year at college, Killgore college, violating the probation because I didn’t have a job. I had to pay my fines and fees and show up to my meetings which no one wanted to help me so I ended up getting violated from that… I went to prison for a five-year sentence but I got parole, three-and-a-half years,” Derrick Lewis told Joe Rogan.