Biography
Derrick Lewis on nicknamed Black Beast - American MMA Fighter. While his longest victorious series was 6 winnings in a row. A swivel point in the sports biography of Derrick was a successful fight with Russian Alexander Volkov, after the victory over which he got a chance to qualify for a champion title in heavyweight, but failed to use it.Childhood and youth
Derrick James Lewis was born on February 7, 1985 in Louisiana, New Orleans. He grew up without his father and was the second of 7 children. As a child, Lewis did not differ in approximate behavior and over time turned into a problem teenager, constantly engaging in street fights.
In 1999, his family went from New Orleans to Houston - the mother wanted to hide from the cohabitant who brutally addressed her and children. There, Derrick decided to send his hobbies in a peaceful direction and took up boxing. He trained a lot and diligently, preparing for performances, but the habit of solving issues to fists then did not heal in himself.
At 19, after 2 weeks after the prom, Lewis first attracted their close attention of the police. He was accused of an attack with aggravating circumstances - he beat the former husband of a woman, with which the Derrik had a novel. Due to the age of the young man and the lack of serious problems with the law, before this, it was possible to solve a trial period, but the lesson for Lewis did not become.
He entered the college and even began to receive a scholarship as a promising athlete, but eventually learned only 2 years and he was heated in prison for violation of the conditions of the trial period. Derrick sentenced to a 5-year conclusion, however, as a result, he went out ahead of time after 3.5 years.
Martial arts
After a prison, he could no longer return to the college and settled the driver of the tow truck, and also returned to the boxing classes - his coach George Foreman, despite the terrible behavior of the guy, did not leave hope of making the world sports star. However, Derrick soon refused boxing in favor of mixed martial arts. With MMA he introduced his friend, told him about the Silverback hall. For Lewis, it was a way to show his temperament and quench the passion for street fights, as well as quickly earn money for the family.
The debut athlete in MMA took place in 2009 and turned into a failure. He lost to Jay Ross, and the fight stopped the doctor. For the second time, at a meeting with Tim Bucanan, he was able to rehabilitate and received an invitation to professionals.
In May 2010, Lewis signed a contract with Bellator Fighting Championships, but collaboration lasted for a short time. The fighter left the promotion after a single battle with Tony Johnson, who Derrick lost to the unanimous decision of the judges. After that, he opened a series of 6 victories, including the LEGACY FC champion title, and moved to UFC.
It was planned that the first speech athlete in the status of a member of the world's largest promotion will be held at the Fight Night: Condit VS tournament. Kampmann, however, to fight Nandoro Guellmigno Lewis could not be due to injury. The debut had to postpone almost a year, and when he was still able to enter the ring, won by knockout in the 1st round.
Following the next meeting with Matt Mitrion, the Derrick itself turned out to be in knockout. After that, a series of successful speeches was followed when he defeated such opponents as Damian Grabovsky, Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson, Shamil Abdurahimov.
The real star MMA Lewis became in UFC 229 after the victory over Alexander Volkov. After it, the number of fighters' subscribers in "Instagram" instantly increased 2 times - from 600 thousand to 1.2 million. It was an unusually spectacular battle - until the last moment the Russian was led to the end, but in 40 seconds, the exhausted Derrick rushed to the attack and won knockout. It was after that he got a chance to fight for a heavyweight champion title with Daniel De Si Kormye.
Personal life
For many years, all the difficulties of sports life with the fighter shared his girlfriend Eypril. Before issuing the relationship officially, the couple acquired three children - they had 2 sons and daughter. Well-being in personal and especially in the sex life Lewis considers the key to all his victories.
In 2017, Eypril became the wife of Derrick. The luxurious ceremony was held in the Hawaiian Islands, but the photo from the wedding did not succeed. In the same year, despite the newfound husband's status, Lewis became interested in a colleague on Mma Rundy Rauzi, an ex-champion in the lightest weight - at least, such rumors went among fans.
However, the fighter was not seen in anything reprehensible, except that the girl sent flowers in honor of its introduction to the Hall of Fame UFC. It is possible that it was just a marketing course for heating the interest of the public to the fight with the Ronda Mother Travis Brown, and Lewis's meaningful hints were needed only in order to film the enemy.
Athlete's growth - 191 cm, weight - 120 kg. Derrick admits that if it did not take place in MMA, I would have implemented the dream of youth and began to act in porn, and it was interested in the fight first with a financial point of view:
"UFC threw me money, as if I am a stripper, and I was not against," Lewis admitted in an interview.Derrick Lewis now
In October 2018, Lewis's long-awaited fight took place with Kormye. The sympathies were on the side of the current champion, and the church of Derrick could not turn the situation - in the 2nd round, Di Si won the suffocating reception.
Now Lewis continues to workout and does not lose hope for revenge and the appeared award - the UFC championship belt.
Titles and awards
- 2012 - Legacy FC champion in heavyweight weight
- 2016 - Prize for the best evening performance
- 2018 - Prize for the Best Evening Speech