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Derrick Lewis is set to face Jailton Almeida, as the UFC returns after a week off at UFC Sao Paulo. The card will be headlined by the heavyweight clash.
Lewis, speaking at the pre-fight press conference, expressed his belief that he is a well-rounded mixed martial artist, and said that he has come up with a unique approach to beat Almeida. Lewis said:
"You know, I've just been training everywhere. Wrestling, striking, jiu-jitsu, wherever. So, I'm prepared wherever the fight goes. I know he is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. I'm a purple belt, so, I believe I'm the baddest purple belt in Texas, so it's gonna be good competition for me. I think our skills matchup pretty well, especially on the ground. I think I can get a leg lock on him, in the first round."
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His statement is surprising, considering Almeida's prowess on the ground, as well as the manner in which Lewis generally goes about his business. Derrick Lewis currently holds the record for the most number of knockouts in UFC heavyweight history and so, such comments are certainly a little out of character.
That being said, Derrick Lewis opened his last fight with a flying knee straight from the bell against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, eventually securing the finish. This unorthodox and wild approach may pay dividends come Saturday, November 4th.
Derrick Lewis dismisses title shot with win over Jailton Almeida, calls for a top five opponent if he wins
In the very same press conference, Lewis was asked what a win would mean for him, relative to the rest of the division. He replied:
"With this win, no I don't think I get a title shot. I have to get, fight a top five opponent. After this, we can start talking about title shots, but as of now, I don't think this fight is going to give me a title shot."
Lewis is currently 2-3 in his last five, and has fallen short against some of the elite competition the division has to offer. With an overall record of 27-11, Lewis will most likely need to string together a solid win streak to insert himself into the title picture.
