‘It is by no means sufficient’: Derrick Lewis on household drama, love from followers and combating close to 40

It might be lazy to simplify Derrick Lewis’ journey to the UFC because the clichéd story of the Black child who needed to battle his means out of the impoverished confines of New Orleans to flee the destiny of incarceration or an early grave. That story is informed far too typically in the case of Black athletes. The success story that is not informed about Black athletes sufficient is the one the place they overcome a sense of guilt for his or her accomplishments when the folks round them act like they’re owed one thing.

“I believe I made it,” Lewis mentioned uneasily. “There may be plenty of stuff occurring in my private life that individuals do not learn about, however I’m very snug with my life proper now. I am lucky that my life turned out this manner in any case that I have been by.”

He was talking a bit over per week away from competing in his forty first battle as a blended martial artist. And when the lights go down Saturday on the Enterprise Middle in St. Louis, Missouri, and Houston rap legend Fats Pat’s music “Tops Drop” pulsates by the sector, one of many UFC’s greatest cult heroes will make his solution to the Octagon to a rousing ovation.

Everybody loves “The Black Beast,” proper?

“I like my followers, however there are plenty of haters on the market,” mentioned Lewis (27-12, 18-10 UFC), among the many most beloved figures within the UFC with over 2.2 million followers on Instagram. His predominant occasion bout Saturday towards Rodrigo Nascimento on UFC Combat Evening (ESPN+, 7 p.m. E.T.) would be the second battle of an eight-fight deal he inked with the UFC in 2023. By no means thoughts that he has gone 2-5 in his previous seven fights and has by no means tasted championship gold. The mix of earth-rattling knockout energy and terribly dry humor has turned him right into a fan favourite.

Sadly, it does not seem that he is a household favourite today.

“The love from followers feels good, however the hate comes from my household,” Lewis, 39, revealed with a heavy sigh. For all that he has overcome and his success, Lewis has discovered that probably the most troublesome folks to please are those that share his bloodline. “Individuals who do not know something about me and simply see me on TV love me extra and present extra assist than my family. That hurts me.”

Of all of the issues he has been by in his life to get up to now — witnessing drug use and home abuse as a baby rising up in New Orleans, together with serving jail time in Houston — the factor that doubtlessly might have probably the most crippling impact on his happiness is the individuals who he pledged his life to assist.

“I grew up eager to deal with my household, and never having that assist actually hurts me probably the most,” he mentioned. “They are saying I’ve modified due to the cash, however I am the identical man. I am simply making an attempt to be good with my cash as a result of none of them are serving to me battle to make it.”

This cuts deeper than any loss that he has had within the Octagon.

However, like most issues, he shrugs it off and focuses on the duty at hand.

“I do not even know his title,” says Lewis about who he is combating this weekend. “However I do know it begins with an ‘R.'”

He is not making an attempt to be humorous. He is simply being trustworthy about how little he is aware of about Rodrigo Nascimento. Whoever he’s, it does not matter to Lewis. He has one job: Knock him out. He has been fairly good at it to this point. His 14 knockouts are probably the most in UFC historical past, coming courtesy of his “Swangin’ and Bangin'” fashion, a reference to Houston’s hip-hop and automobile tradition scene. He is not involved in wrestling or grappling, simply punching opponents as onerous as he can for so long as they will take it. And as soon as they lose consciousness, he has one thing to say.

Good luck determining what it is likely to be about. His postfight dialogue has ranged from having to make use of the lavatory to explaining why he instantly discarded his battle shorts after a win. When his postfight antics are uploaded to YouTube, the views are by the roof. His notorious “my balls was scorching” quote after knocking out Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 has over 5 million views.

It is why many imagine the UFC signed Lewis to an extension final yr regardless of him having a dropping file since 2021.

“Derrick Lewis is an anomaly,” says Mike Jackson, a longtime pal of Lewis who has watched his rise from the amateurs to the professional ranks. The 2 met again in 2010 on the Silverback Combat Membership in Houston. Jackson, greatest recognized for his 2018 UFC battle with WWE’s CM Punk when the professional wrestler tried his hand at MMA, has had a ringside seat for Lewis’ maturation as a fighter and a person.

“Combating is leisure, and he has the entire package deal,” Jackson mentioned. “You already know each time he steps into the Octagon there’s a probability that he’ll bang you out, and when he is on the microphone, that is not a personality. That is real and authentically him.”

That is why nearly everybody loves him. And but, Lewis thought of retiring from combating in 2017.

After a knockout loss to Mark Hunt that June, Lewis, then 32, introduced that he was retiring from blended martial arts. It felt abrupt to these closest to him, contemplating that he was barely scratching the floor of his combating skill.

“Derrick made it to the UFC with uncooked skill,” Jackson recalled. “He made it this far with the fundamental settings, after which we began seeing the expansion over time. He did not have any actual jiu-jitsu. If he was taken down in a battle, his coach would say, ‘OK, Derrick. Stand up!’ And with one other grown man on him, he would simply stand up. He is been ready to do this on intuition. Now he is including the bottom recreation. He realized that if he utilized himself to get higher, the wins would come simpler for him.”

Lewis reconsidered retirement after only a few months and returned to the Octagon the next yr. At that time, followers noticed some deliberate enchancment in each his talent set and physique.

“I had a purpose [to retire before 35] after I first began combating,” Lewis mentioned of his temporary retirement. “However I imagine the whole lot occurs for a cause. In 2017 I mentioned I used to be going to retire and did for a bit bit. However I’d have by no means had two title photographs. If I retired, I would not have skilled any of that or the cash that I am making now.”

And he has made loads of cash since then.

His eight Efficiency of the Evening bonuses rank second in UFC heavyweight historical past. Since coming back from retirement, Lewis has challenged for each the heavyweight and interim heavyweight titles and knocked off the likes of Francis Ngannou, Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov alongside the best way. His 28 UFC heavyweight fights and 18 wins rank second all time.

However while you inform him about his accolades, he shrugs it off.

“I do not actually care about all of that,” he mentioned. “I would not even know in the event that they did not present it on TV.”

What he cares about is taking good care of his spouse and three children, who’re extra involved concerning the man that he has turn out to be than the fighter who obliterates opposition after which places his humor on show.

“They do not watch my fights,” he mentioned of his kids. “I am cringe to my children, it doesn’t matter what I say or do. I’m going to my children’ college, and their pals are saying, ‘My balls scorching.'”

He laughs on the concept of preteens reciting his off-the-wall postfight interview quips at school, as a result of he has at all times aimed to be an affect — simply not on this means.

“However then the lecturers are saying it, too!” he mentioned, shaking his head. “My children are actually embarrassed about me. At any time when I am within the Octagon and say that loopy stuff, I do not give it some thought. That is within the warmth of the second. I do not take into consideration if my children or spouse will see it.”

Apart from watching him battle or entertain afterward, you may need caught Lewis rescuing folks from floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. It is one thing else he waves off as a result of he does not need to be acknowledged for issues he believes persons are speculated to do.

Sadly, the issues he wish to be acknowledged for aren’t being obtained.

“[My family] desires me to maintain giving, however they are not making an attempt to assist themselves,” he mentioned. “I gave them automobiles and helped with their homes. They will not even get the oil modified on the automobiles I purchased. They need me to pay the automobile word, the home word and pay their payments. It is by no means sufficient.”

It is apparent that this can be a troubling topic to Lewis and the wound of not having his household’s assist remains to be recent.

“I nearly suppose that our relationship could be a lot better if I wasn’t profitable,” he mentioned. “I went by the identical struggles as they did. They know the whole lot about me. They knew how unhealthy I wished to be a fighter, and none of them ever got here to my native fights. I had no assist. They would not even give me a journey to the fitness center. I have been doing this since 2009, and none of them have ever been to any of my fights.

“And now I am the unhealthy man.”

He is OK with being the unhealthy man to relations today. He refuses to permit folks to take his pleasure away, irrespective of who they’re.

“He is not a folks pleaser,” Jackson mentioned. “He has plenty of strain to indicate out for his metropolis, and he is making an attempt to deal with folks with out letting them down. However there actually is not something misunderstood about him. He’s who he’s, and what you see is what you get.”

Lewis has put childhood hardships within the rearview mirror. However as he approaches age 40, is he actually going to battle seven extra occasions to complete his newest UFC contract signed again in August?

“The way in which this cash is coming in now? I certain am!” he mentioned with fun. “I ain’t making an attempt to be the most effective fighter on the earth. Neglect all of that. I do not care. I am making an attempt to get that test.”

He is coy relating to the monetary particulars of his present deal. When requested, a smile slowly stretches throughout his face. To Jackson, the larger incentives have led to rededication to the craft.

“He has abs now,” Jackson mentioned. “You already know what his motivation is, [his wife and kids], and you understand what he goals to do. There’s a excessive probability that you’re going to get to see a type of spectacular Derrick Lewis knockouts.”

If the knockouts and interviews are what followers love, Lewis does not need to overextend himself to maintain them completely happy. And so long as the checks hold coming in, we’ll get to listen to “Tops Drop” in arenas for at the very least a pair extra years.

“I’ve reached a degree in my life that I haven’t got to attempt to please everybody anymore,” Lewis mentioned. “I simply give attention to my spouse, children and successful fights.”