Don’t Doubt Derrick Lewis!

Written by Garey Symington

Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis is certainly a fan favorite in the UFC, and with the one punch power to shut the lights out on any man in the Heavyweight division, he keeps us tuning in. From one liners like “my balls was hot” to devastating knockouts in the octagon, the man is a constant source of entertainment.

So why is he consistently doubted leading up to his fights?

Time and time again, Lewis is an underdog or even money (inside +/-120)  as betting odds close. In 22 UFC fights he’s only lost twice as a favorite. Once to Matt Mitrione as a -130 favorite way back in September 2014, and once at -155 to Mark Hunt in June 2017. A lot of time has passed since these bouts, neither of these fighters are in the UFC anymore, and any real fight bettor knows that -155 or -130 are damn near a pick ‘em bout in the context of the UFC.

His only other UFC losses are (with closing odds listed):

+250 against Ciryl Gane (2021), who is arguably the most athletic Heavyweight to ever compete in MMA

+180 against Junior Dos Santos (2019), a UFC Heavyweight legend and former champion

+315 against Daniel Cormier (2018), another legend and 1 of 4 double champs in the history of the UFC

EV against Shawn Jordan (2015), which was 6 years ago

Derrick Lewis beat current UFC Heavyweight champion, Francis “The Predator” Ngannou, back in 2018. At that time Ngannou had already set the Guinness World Record for the world’s hardest punch, and Derrick stood toe to toe to notch a decision victory as a +255 underdog.

In February 2021 he sent Curtis “Razor” Blaydes to another planet with a sneaky right uppercut, securing a second round KO victory as a +300 dog. 

He’s beaten Alexander Volkov and Roy Nelson as underdogs as well, along with plenty of impressive wins at even money or as a favorite.

Now he’s an underdog again!

UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Daukaus on Saturday 12/18/21 wraps up an incredibly eventful year for the UFC in Heavyweight fashion. To be clear, I’m not taking anything away from Daukaus here. He’s a tough fighter with fast, heavy hands. He’s 4-0 in the UFC with 4 KO/TKO finishes and only one fight has even seen the second round. I think he deserves this fight – but does he deserve to be favored?

Lewis has the better reach, more fights, higher ranking (granted, doesn’t always matter) and has fought the best heavyweights in the world. He’s beaten Shamil Abdurakhimov and Aleksei Oleinik, who are Daukaus’ two most recent opponents and comprise half of his UFC resume.

I think I’ve seen how this movie ends. Give me Derrick Lewis on the moneyline with a KO prop sprinkle all day and I’ll be laughing to the bank come Saturday night. It’s time we all start believing in The Black Beast!