Derrick Lewis will be taking on Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC on ESPN 56 on May 11 and is aiming to get back in the win column after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jailton Almeida in his last fight at UFC Fight Night 231 last year. With a stunning 14-knockouts under his belt, Lewis has been a fan favorite for his impressive power and unfiltered personality.

The #12 ranked heavyweight is also known for his physique has raised eyebrows in the past due to the transformation ‘The Black Beast’ has displayed over the course of his UFC career. As such, let’s take a look and learn more about his walk-around weight, his issues with making the UFC’s heavyweight limit, and his weight cut!

 Derrick Lewis’s walking-around weight in the past 

Ahead of his 12th main event appearance in the UFC, Derrick Lewis stated in a pre-fight press conference, “I’m feeling great right now. I actually really feel like this is my prime. Whenever I was in my 20s, early 30s, I didn’t feel this good. Now I’m feeling fantastic right now.”

The remarks are interesting as ahead of his UFC 291 clash against Marcos Rogerio De Lima in 2023, Lewis had shared a scary story from his past attempts to make the weight limit for his bout against Serghei Spivac at UFC Vegas 68.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, he confessed, “I blacked out, my coaches had to carry me, make sure I stayed conscious, and I just didn’t have any energy the rest of the week. I cut like 25 pounds in three days, not eating, just drinking water…”

The UFC heavyweight limit for non-title bouts is 266 lbs, as such, cutting 25 pounds to make the weight limit implies that Lewis was walking around at close to 290 lbs.

The drastic weight cut highlights the physical toll fighters endure to meet the demands of their weight class, and especially in the case of Lewis, it underscores the fact that even heavyweights have to be careful with their physique as weight-cutting can have devastating consequences on their bodies. However, ‘The Black Beast’ appears to have his diet and workout routine dialed in as he has made weight without a hitch in all his subsequent fights, and during the recent media day ahead of his clash against Nascimento, he revealed that his new approach has made cutting weight a breeze!

Lewis reveals changes to his workout and weight ahead of St.Louis main event

While his weight had been a concern in the past, Derrick Lewis has made some changes to his diet and exercise routines to ensure he doesn’t have to struggle to get to the weigh-in scale in the UFC. At the UFC on ESPN 56 media day, he stated, “I’m less than 10 pounds away from making my weight already.”

This suggests that Lewis has toned down his walking around weight to close to approximately 276 lbs, a far cry from his approaching almost 290 lbs in the past. He also revealed that, “At the beginning of my career, I never ran. I really just started running like three or four years ago. I ain’t never ran before. Just tried to do all my cardio on the stair master.”

His commitment to incorporating running into his training regimen reflects a newfound dedication to overall fitness and underscores the significance of perseverance and continuous improvement in the pursuit of success in the Octagon.