All of my fights, especially all of my UFC fights my whole career, I've never been in there without any kind of impingement and pain wrong with my back.
— Derrick Lewis
I believe the tough fights bring out the better fighter in myself.
You know, once you have the belt you want to be less active, fighting once a year.
As long as they pay me good, that's all I care about.
Since I was probably eight years old, just about everyday, all the way until I was 14 or 15 years old, just about everyday my mom and my stepdad would roll around in the living room fighting.
If I was really trying to be the best fighter in the world, I would be in the best shape and taking it more serious but I'm not.
I grew up watching my mom and my stepdad fight.
I ain't trying to fight for no title.
I've been having people doubt me all my life.
You've got to try to find some type of mental edge on your opponent.
It's a job to me, basically. I'm not trying to be the best fighter in the world or nothing like that. I don't come in trying to think I am the best fighter. I don't care about none of that. It's just a job to me.
It's like I say all the time, it's the heavyweight division. It doesn't matter if the guys a black belt or if he's a world-class boxer. We still have a 50-50 chance.
I think Cormier is gonna come out and try to wrestle me, try to get me tired, and try to push the pace. I know he might not say that I'm on his level but I think I am and he thinking that I'm not, really.
I don't know how to do takedowns.
The guys in the top five, they're good everywhere. Me, I'm just almost one-dimensional.
I don't want to fight once a year. I like fighting every other month.
I know just about everything that really goes on with domestic violence.
I've been in deep waters a bunch of times in my fights.
I don't care if I am ever remembered in this sport for anything.
I used to only train 30 minutes a day.
It would be cool to let people know that it doesn't matter what kind of background you have in your past, that you can still make something out of your life.
I'm an optimistic guy.
That's what really gets me going, thinking about my past. I think about all the tough times and bad times I've had in my life and I bring all that into the Octagon. That's only because it's hard going in there trying to fight someone who didn't do anything to you.
I don't care if I ever fight for the belt or get the belt.
You've really got to stay ready 24/7. You really can't get ready because there's no telling. They'll call you short notice to fight anyone so you really have to stay ready.
Basically, I guess they just thinking I've been winning my fights just by luck. I just think I've been winning my fights on heart.
I like to fight tough fights.
I gotta work on my overall game.
I'm just going to keep fighting, try to stay active as much as possible.
I speak my mind too much, and the UFC probably don't really like that. But I really don't care.
I made my third parole and I believe if I had made it the first time, I wouldn't be here today. I still would've been out there doing stupid stuff.
If I'm the champion, the whole UFC division should be ashamed of themselves for a guy that had no damn skills being the champion. They should all just go relocate somewhere.
I don't care what people think.
I've been through so much stuff that I hope even my enemies wouldn't have to go through.
That would be great if I could be a role model or inspiration to those who have been in my shoes before.
I set some goals for myself. I really want to run through this whole heavyweight division.
There's nothing I really want to accomplish. I already set my family up pretty good right now.
I know Cormier is a wrestler so you really got to get them hips down on him so I've been working them hips really good.
Everyone else is a mixed martial artist. I'm not a mixed martial artist, I'm a brawler.
