Fifteen KO/TKO wins! A promotional record. That is the legacy UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has amassed inside the Octagon so far. Hailing from New Orleans, he has earned a reputation as one of the most feared strikers in the UFC. At 39 years old, Lewis continues to compete at a high level, proudly carrying a legacy built over a decade of hard work and significant victories. So, what fuels the incredible knockout power that has become his trademark?

The answer lies in his rigorous training, skilled coaches, and dedicated workout routine. Join us as we explore the journey of this remarkable fighter, uncovering what it takes for a man from Louisiana, who faced immense challenges in life, to rise to stardom in the UFC.

Meet Bob Perez, Derrick Lewis’ coach

The first ever memory that Lewis has of seeing an actual fight is from seeing his mother fight his stepfather. According to MMA Fighting’s Chuck Mindenhall, these fights were always the ones that his mother could never win and they had no escape. However, Lewis did escape, from the street fights and the trauma at home. During his teenage years, he relocated to Houston Texas, and lost the little guidance he had earlier. This led to rough street fights and prison for 3 years. Upon release he found his way to MMA. However, he still did not find the umbrella of comfort he needed from a person.

Finally, fate took Lewis to Bob Perez. He met his coach almost 10 years ago and started training with him but his trust in Perez has grown stronger over the years. “In this sport, in sports period, it’s really hard to find people that you trust and that want your best interests,” Lewis told to Bleacher Report. “I’ve been screwed over so many times, so much from my previous coaches and managers and stuff like that and relationships outside of fighting. So I don’t trust no one.”

Trust issues are common for ‘the black beast’ since he saw such harsh environments and crude people growing up. It is a wonder that someone who suffered such trauma and trust issues could put his faith in someone finally. Interestingly, what stood out to Lewis was not the resume or talent that his coach already possessed. It was something entirely different-“I believe the best thing about my coach is that I do believe he cares about me and my family and my health,” Lewis said to Bleacher Report. “That’s the number one thing that makes me keep coming to the gym and not wanting to go anywhere else.”

Even while speaking to UFC about his coach, the heavyweight star had a wide smile on his face as he said, “He is fun to be around.” More than a coach, he is family to Lewis. Perez even said that he was old enough to be his uncle and of course his best friend. Now let’s see Lewis’ extended family at the Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai gym.

Derrick Lewis training partners and more

The purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who has defeated the likes of Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov trains with  Matty “Ice” Costello, Kolton “White Assassin” Englund, and women’s flyweight contender Lauren Murphy among others.

Derrick Lewis has even trained with welterweight veteran Nick Diaz and even improved his cardio and had abs while doing so! Bloody Elbow had posted a picture of them going for a run in 2023 August and fans had gone berserk under the post commenting on the duo. His shocking body transformation had stunned the MMA world before his fight against Serghei Spivac in January 2023.

Lewis is a different breed of fighter compared to others in his league when it comes to workouts. He is a mixture of natural talent and hard work. Other fighters might train for 4 hours a day but Lewis typically trains for just 2 hours. Apart from that he has his trusted coach who knows the best way to make him the beast he is. So now you know how the ‘Black beast’ becomes who he is. Are you excited to see his next fight? Tell us in the comments below.