Derrick Lewis underestimated ahead of UFC return? ‘People aren’t taking me serious’

Derrick Lewis is set to return at UFC Vegas 68 on Feb. 4, 2023, and he’s certainly looking better than he ever has in recent training videos. But, will his performance inside the cage match his new physique?

“Black Beast” comes into his upcoming main event fight against Serghei Spivak on a 1-3 skid, including two knockouts in his last two fights. Then there was his mysterious last-minute withdrawal from UFC Vegas 65 in Nov. 2022 because of a “stomach issue.” We still don’t really know what that was all about, and it just leaves a lot of questions regarding “The Black Beast.”

Which he’s cool with ... it just fuels his fire.

“I know everybody is looking at me with one eye right now,” he told UFC.com in a new interview. “Like, ‘Um, I don’t know,’ so I’m gonna go out there and show them that I’m still that guy. It’s crazy because now I feel like while I’ve been taking my training camp serious, people aren’t taking me serious.

“It’s fine if everyone is underestimating me,” Lewis continued. “It’s great — I love being underestimated. I believe I’ll get the job done, and I believe this is a perfect matchup to get the job done; to go out there and show everyone these skills that I’ve learned over the last few months.”

Past setbacks with his knees and back have led Lewis to overhaul his training and lifestyle, and the November cancelation seems to be no different. A recent photo of Lewis earlier this month showed him rocking a much slimmer look. It clearly took a lot of hard work, which comes with a newfound appreciation for the gym.

“It’s a great feeling going to the gym now,” Lewis said. “I’m not getting sick of doing my training regimen. I’m real happy about even going to training now.

“Of course you’ll still see the swangin’ and bangin’ — that’s the way of my life,” he concluded. “But also, if we have to switch it up and do some wrestling, I’m down with it.”

The No. 12-ranked Spivak comes into his battle with Lewis on a two fight win streak, and 5-1 over his last six UFC bouts. But, he’s certainly an easier opponent than Lewis’ last two fights, which were against the now-ranked No. 5 Tai Tuivasa and No. 3-seeded Serghei Pavlovich.

To check out the latest UFC Vegas 68 fight card and rumors click here.