5 reasons why it might be time for Derrick Lewis to hang up his gloves

Derrick Lewis is one of the most beloved UFC heavyweight fighters in recent memory. Fans have several reasons to regard him positively. First, 'The Black Beast' is a record-setting power-puncher with the highest number of knockouts in the promotion's history. Nothing thrills fans quite like seeing a fighter floor another with a knockout.

But it's not just the one-time UFC title challenger's knockouts that have earned him high fan approval, it's also his sense of humor. No one will ever forget his oft-replayed post-fight interview at UFC 229. After flatlining Alexander Volkov with 11 seconds left in the bout that he was clearly losing, he cut a promo for the ages.

Unfortunately, 'The Black Beast' has found success lacking inside the octagon as of late. After being choked out by Sergey Spivak, he suffered his third consecutive defeat. While Dana White silenced any talk of Derrick Lewis leaving the UFC, perhaps it's time for the heavy-handed 265'er to consider hanging up his gloves.

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#5. Derrick Lewis' knockout power isn't enough anymore

Anyone who steps inside the octagon to face Derrick Lewis is well aware of the primary danger they're at risk of encountering. The one-time UFC title challenger is arguably the hardest-hitting puncher in MMA. Only Francis Ngannou can contend with him. Unfortunately, things aren't what they once were.

Once upon a time, Derrick Lewis' knockout power was enough to crush most of the opponents who stood in his way. His right hand was a weapon of mass destruction that nuked anyone foolish enough to trade blows with him. In the past, the skill level in the heavyweight division was so low that power alone was enough.

This is no longer the case. His vaunted knockout power is no longer enough of an equalizer to keep him in the winning column. Years ago, his right hand was capable of earning him a title fight. Now, he's barely in the top ten.

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#4. Opponents are no longer scared of his punching power

Relying on an overhand right as one's knockout blow comes with both benefits and drawbacks. Derrick Lewis doesn't throw much else beyond a heavy right hand. In the past, the fear that his knockout power inspired in his opponents kept them from marching him down. Thus, he was afforded space and time to throw punches.

Furthermore, it allowed him to time his punches as counters. Now, however, the circumstances are different. Today's heavyweights can no longer give 'The Black Beast' the respect that he's grown accustomed to. Thus, he no longer has the space and time to throw punches with any leverage.

Instead, his space is routinely crowded, and he's frequently forced onto his backfoot. This forces him to constantly reset his range. Tai Tuivasa showed no fear of Derrick Lewis' power by openly brawling with him. Sergei Pavlovich did the same, and both men were successful.

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#3. His defensive wrestling is lacking

Derrick Lewis' primary means of takedown defense rely on his great strength and his use of under hooks. Past wrestlers who sought to secure takedowns were simply shrugged off after 'The Black Beast' used under hooks to redirect their upper bodies. Unfortunately, his anti-wrestling changed as the years passed.

The more knockout wins that the 38-year-old earned, the more he fell in love with the idea that he could flatline anyone. He began trying to time uppercuts to intercept wrestlers who dive in for takedowns. On paper, it should work because if he misses, the natural arc of an uppercut means his arm is ready for under hooks.

But in practice, things are different. Chain wrestling has become part of the MMA wrestling meta. This is why 'The Black Beast' struggled so much against Sergey Spivak, who repeatedly chained takedowns together en route to an arm-triangle choke.

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#2. His age is catching up to him

Every dog has its day. Fighters can't fight forever, nor do most fighters remain at the very top of their divisions towards the end of their careers. Age eventually catches up to every fighter. The 265 lbs weight class typically has a longer shelf-life for its fighters than other divisions.

But even 265'ers have their limits. Derrick Lewis has struggled with back injuries for some time now. Furthermore, his natural explosiveness and surprising quickness have diminished the older he's grown. At 38 years old, he's not going to get into a better physical condition than he was prior.

He is two years away from turning 40 years old. His prime was during a time when Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne were all active UFC fighters. The current crop of heavyweights are younger and more athletic than the ones 'The Black Beast' won against. Now, he's older and slowing down.

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#1. Derrick Lewis simply isn't skilled enough anymore

Against the heavyweights of yesteryear, Derrick Lewis' skill set was effective. Unfortunately, today's 265'ers pose a different challenge. While he's tremendously powerful, 'The Black Beast' is also very limited as a striker. His footwork is nonexistent and so is his jab.

Thus, he has no measuring tool that he can use to assess his opponent's reactions or determine how close they are to him. This prevents him from accurately establishing his range to land his right hand. Instead, Lewis simply loads up and swings for the bleachers.

This has been effective in the past due to the limited skill set of older heavyweights. But the new generation of 265'ers are not only better strikers, they're also better athletes. They're fast enough to evade his punches and powerful enough to hurt him in exchanges.