Video
Original Description
Derrick Lewis speaks with Charly Arnolt ahead of his main event fight vs. Tallison Teixeira at #UFCNashville.
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Video Transcript
Derek, this is your 30th UFC appearance,
your 13th main event, tons of experience
on your side, and then when you look at
who you're competing against, this is
just Tara's second match in the UFC. So,
I ask you, how much more important is
experience rather than the momentum that
he possesses?
Uh,
I don't know. Um, I'm just happy to be
here.
You talked about this. We talked about
this in fighter meetings, though. You
said that there's a different energy in
the main event, something that you can't
replicate in training, something that
really only comes with experience.
Yeah, for sure. You got to have
experience. Um, I believe that he's
going to realize that like it's me, the
main event is going to be completely
different than fighting a regular fight.
I think the nerves going to get to him
before he even walk out.
You know, you are clearly very prepared.
And it was interesting how you and your
coach were talking about how instead of
doing your typical 5we camp, this time
you did 3 months of training leading up
to this fight. What do you attribute to
the shift in the fact that you wanted to
put in more work leading up to this
fight?
Um, just because I didn't want to be a
fat boy anymore. I want to get my weight
down low as possible as I could so I
could be healthy and and do some things
in octagon that I never done before.
Well, you certainly have been putting in
work. You were talking about how you run
six miles every other day. You're you're
looking trim. Um, no more fat boy, I
guess, right? Um, how much better do you
feel?
I feel 10 times better. Um, I think I
put more more life into my career, I
believe, by me doing that. So, I feel
good. Feel like the best ever right now.
You
obviously have tons of experience on
your side. you you interestingly said
you didn't think you would be fighting
for this long. When you look at the
shakeup in the heavyweight division
where you're at right now, how do you
evaluate your short and long-term goals?
Um, I believe I'm like probably like two
or three fights away from fighting for
the title. So, I think I'm in a good
spot right now.
Get started with this weekend. Good luck
to you. Thank you so much.
Appreciate it. Thank you,
guys. Back to you.
Well, Charlie hit on it. He does look
younger. He looks leaner. This is the
best we've seen Derrick Lewis looking.
He looks lean, which means he probably
put in the work for me. Dererick has
been talking for a couple of fights now
that, you know, I want to bring the
weight down. Bring the weight down. And
look, he knows himself better than us,
obviously. But I don't think he needs to
be a leaner guy. I think he he moves so
fast for such a big guy. For me, it's
more about coming in shape, getting
prepared because we've seen in fights in
the past where Dererick has gotten tired
over time or he's got hit to the body
and he wasn't in quite a shape. If he's
running six miles every day, I'm happy
with that. For me, the weight doesn't
matter as as much as the gas tank is
there.
Yeah. And just like Charlie was saying,
just like we're all saying, I mean, when
I looked down at the screen and saw
Derrick Lewis, he just looks trim. He
looks lean. And I like what he said
about he got lean because not only does
he want to be healthier, but he wants to
do things in the octagon that he hasn't
done that we haven't seen yet. And for
me, I believe that. It's like look at
the fight with the Lim. It came out with
a flying knee and got a fast finish.
That's something he hasn't done. Look at
the fight against Nasnto. Mixed in some
offensive wrestling, things we haven't
seen from him before. So, I'm I'm buying
what Derrick Lewis is selling. that he's
getting leaner to show us a different
side to his game we haven't seen yet.
Over under is he coming out in this
fight with a flying I feel like he comes
out every fight with a flying near or a
flying switchkick or something now and
then he lands it.
Yeah. Right.
Well, he's a plus 240 dog and I'm sure
he knows it. He's been around a long
time and he knows that a lot of people
are looking at this young gun and
Talison Terara as a huge challenge for
him. So obviously physically he's ready
and don't get it twisted. Derrick Lewis
is a great athlete inside the octagon.
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