Daniel Cormier: Derrick Lewis Threatened to Knock Me Out Backstage

UFC 226 is now available on Amazon Prime.

As if this year’s International Fight Week weren’t dramatic enough, a new blood feud emerged between Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis during Thursday’s press conference.

Both fighters were gathered on stage to promote Saturday’s UFC 226, with Lewis taking on Francis Ngannou and Cormier fighting Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight belt, but there was more animosity between “The Black Beast” and “DC” than with their respective opponents.

Cormier revealed that Lewis had confronted him backstage just prior to Thursday’s press conference.

“I’ve already got a challenge in the back,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “Derrick Lewis told me that he was going to knock me out before we walked out here. Derrick Lewis may knock out Francis then knock me out after. I know the guys that are lined up to fight me. He’s been sizing me up since we got back here. He called me small. He’s like, ‘You’re smaller than everybody up here.’ That’s rude, Derrick. He said it.”

Cormier could very well find himself across the cage from the likes of Lewis should both men emerge victorious on Saturday. The light heavyweight champion is returning to heavyweight after four years competing at 205 pounds, and a win on Saturday would make Cormier the heavyweight champion as well.

When asked why he had confronted and threatened Cormier backstage, the hulking Houstonian kept it light-hearted:

“He disrespected Popeye’s chicken on the commercial [from the World MMA Awards],” Lewis said.

UFC 226 takes place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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