Derrick Lewis is a big underdog at UFC 230. Photo: Ed Mulholland/Getty
UFC 230 is now available on Amazon Prime.
An Unlikely Contender
Lewis doesn't embody the usual standard of a UFC champion but most fans and media are not giving “The Black Beast” enough credit. Sure, he’s not the most technical striker and openly admits he only trains for two hours a day and never learned a proper takedown, but he does possess the one intangible that can negate all the technical prowess in the world: pure, one-punch knockout power.
Many believe Cormier will rely on his highly-regarded grappling to take away the power of Lewis’ hands, but that power also translates to the ground. Lewis is known for his knockout ability, but most of his finishes have come from ground-and-pound, despite not being a wrestler. Cormier obviously holds the grappling advantage in this bout, but we have seen many times in the past that all Lewis needs is a couple of seconds of top position to finish opponents. Although he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, Lewis often ends up on top with his strength alone and has shown he can hold top position for minutes at a time.
Despite his surprising success on the ground throughout his career, Lewis lives by one simple motto: “Swangin and Bangin.” He openly admits he rarely does any grappling training and would rather lose a crazy war on the feet than win a boring decision on the ground. While Lewis’ striking is his strong suit, he is by no means technically proficient and makes boxing coaches around the world wince with every punch. But if we are being honest it hasn’t mattered thus far. He has bested far superior strikers on the feet with his power and aggressiveness, along with the incredible ability to eat punches and keep moving forward. Many fans and media members will tell you this “take one to give one” mentality doesn't work at the highest levels but it has garnered Lewis a 21-5-1 record overall with a 12-3 record in the UFC.
Cormier is as well rounded as anybody you will ever see in MMA but like anything in life, the yin comes with the yang and he has his fair share of deficiencies on the feet that can be exploited. The worst habit Cormier has on the feet is his tendency to lean far to the right to avoid strikes. This is something he has done his entire career, but was first exploited in his fight with Anthony Johnson and perfected by Jon Jones in their second meeting. As someone who is so good at exploiting weaknesses, it was surprising to see DC continue to dip to his right even after the second fight with Jones. Lewis doesn't throw many kicks but he does throw his hands very low and wide which could be the perfect strike if DC dips.
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