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Derrick Lewis went into silent mode after losing to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265. The heavyweight title challenger didn't speak to the media until the week of his main event fight against Chris Daukaus.
The fight saw him lose by third-round TKO in his hometown of Houston, Texas. The experience at UFC 269 was obviously bittersweet for the heavyweight.
“Man, it was just overwhelming fighting in my hometown, all that pressure I had on me,” Lewis told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “I put all that pressure on myself, you know? It would have been 13 years since the day I got out of prison, and winning the title for the UFC heavyweight champion, it would have just – I put so much pressure on myself. It was just very nerve-racking.
“I would like to keep fighting in Houston,” Lewis said. “I love fighting in Houston. It was just that day. I just put so much pressure on myself, you know, so it is what it is.”
Derrick Lewis still wants to fight for the UFC heavyweight title someday. The heavy hitter always manages to bounce back and put himself in the mix at heavyweight.
“I would like to fight for the title at the end of next year,” Lewis said. “That would be great. You know, get through Daukaus, God willing, I come out with the win, I would like to fight Stipe next. I believe he’s top five, so I believe that I should be fighting top-five guys in the division. Nothing against Stipe or nothing like that.
“You know, I don’t feel like I have nothing to prove. It’s just a guy that I’ve never fought. I know he’s like one of the best of all time. You know, I ain’t sh*t, so I just want to just fight him just because. That’s all. No disrespect or anything like that.”
Right now, Derrick Lewis has rising contender Chris Daukaus ahead of him. He will need to dispatch him in order to get back on track to eventually fight for the UFC heavyweight title.
