Derrick Lewis still has his sights set on gold, but John McCarthy doesn’t think he’ll ever get there.
Lewis (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC), a former two-time title challenger, set the record for most knockouts in UFC history at 13 when he sparked Chris Daukaus in the first round this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 199.
“The Black Beast” proved that he’s not done yet, but after two heavyweight title-fight losses – one to Daniel Cormier in 2018 and again to Ciryl Gane in August – McCarthy isn’t sure if Lewis has the capabilities of becoming champion and thinks the UFC is just trying to use him to springboard rising contenders.
“He is a gatekeeper, though,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “Because he’s been given two title shots. He had the one against Cormier, he lost that one. He had the interim one against Ciryl Gane, he lost that one. Look, he can fight. He’s tough. He’s got certain aspects of the fighting game that he is incredibly powerful at. His ground-and-pound is mean.
“He is super-strong, but technical guys are going to give him fits, so is he ever going to be that guy that’s going to be the champion? I don’t think so. I don’t think he’s got that. If you’re the UFC, you’re saying, ‘If you can beat Derrick Lewis, you’re in this upper tier of the guys that we’re going to think about putting in title fights. If you can’t, it’s saying something about you.’”
In his past two wins, Lewis knocked Curtis Blaydes and Daukaus out of the title picture. He’s won five of his past six, and when asked if he’d be willing to serve as a backup for the upcoming title fight between heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Lewis smiled and said he’ll see.
John McCarthy: Derrick Lewis a ‘gatekeeper,’ likely won’t ever become UFC champion
