Our Derrick Lewis Biography tells you facts about his Childhood story, Early Life, Parents, Family, Siblings, Dating history, etc. More so, the American Sportsperson’s Siblings, Personal Life, net worth, Salary and Lifestyle.
In a nutshell, we bring you an overall picture of the Life history of Derrick Lewis, an American professional mixed martial artist.
Our Biography begins from his cradle days until he becomes a household name in the MMA tournaments.
Yes, we identify him as a ‘classic heavyweight mixed martial artist, owing to his knockout power and physique.
Despite his accolades, we have discovered that only a few fans have read a concise piece of Derrick Lewis’s Biography.
Therefore, we have deemed it fit to serve you the captivating story of Derrick Lewis and the breakdown of his wrestling experience so far. Now, without further ado, let us begin.
Derrick Lewis Childhood story:
For Biography starters, he carries the nickname – The Black Beast. Derrick James Lewis was born into this world on the 7th day of February 1985 to his parents in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Our American profile was born as one of seven siblings. Derrick Lewis is the second oldest among his six siblings. Nonetheless, he and his siblings were raised singly by their Mother.
Growing-up years:
The young chap got raised fatherless. Probably because of the absence of a dad, Derrick Lewis was troubled while being brought up by his Mother.
His behaviour was far from being perfect. So, he was often involved in street combat.
The violence he saw at home and his inability to do anything about it must have filled young Derrick Lewis with anger. His mum and the entire family endured abuse from their supposed dad.
Notwithstanding, to escape from the abuse, his Mother and family left New Orleans for a leafy northwest Houston suburb in Texas. At that time, Derrick became a peaceful person and then took up boxing.
At 17, Lewis began training in boxing and was preparing for his first amateur contention. Unfortunately for him, the gym unexpectedly shut down for unknown reasons.
But upon that, his inert troubling habit was hard to be stopped. His fist was ever ready for combat.
When Derrick was 19, he attracted the police’s attention. He got accused of an aggravated attack.
The young chap beat the ex-husband of the woman he dated at that period. Nevertheless, he got placed on probation because of his age and the absence of previous legal issues.
Notwithstanding, it did not teach Derrick Lewis any lesson. On the other hand, he was also athletic and hyperactive as a child. He engaged in other sports, excelling in each of them. Football seemed a good sport.
But again, he got into trouble, for violating the probation conditions.
Derrick got sentenced to five years in the since-shuttered Central Unit prison in Sugar Land but got an early release in three and a half years.
He never gave football a chance. Instead, he fell in love with taking part in mixed martial arts.
Derrick Lewis Family Background:
We can only imagine how the life of a single mother with seven kids would appear. Derrick Lewis’s mum worked in a shipyard.
She strove to make ends meet and take good care of her children. They were a poor household with next to nothing to survive on.
Derrick Lewis Family Origin:
Going over to his ancestry, Derrick Lewis has refused to associate himself with his supposed dad.
As such, we link his roots just to his Mum, who solely brought him up. Though his Mother’s details have been discreet, the talented MMA athlete was born in New Orleans.
The city is along the Mississippi River, in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Originally, “La Nouvelle-Orléans” in French, The city has been described as the “most unique” in the United States, owing at large to its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage.
New Orleans is also known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture. It is, all the same, possible that Derrick Lewis has his roots traced to France.
Notwithstanding the fact, by implication of the info above, he is Afro-American and hails from New Orleans. See details of his family roots in the picture below.
Derrick Lewis Early Career:
Despite Derrick’s hot temper, his boxing coach George Foreman did not lose his faith and made the athlete an international sports star. Nevertheless, the man gave up boxing: he preferred mixed martial arts.
Lewis’s friend told him about MMA. It was an excellent opportunity for Derrick to exude his character and quench his thirst for street combat. Besides, it was a fast way to earn his family’s living.
Derrick began his journey in MMA in 2009, when he made his debut as an amateur against Jay Ross in 2009.
He lost the tournament via TKO. Derrick then faced Tim Buchanan at the United States American Combat Association event in 2010. At this point, he emerged victorious via Technical Knockout.
After turning professional in 2010, Derrick would compile a wrestling record of 4–1 before signing with Bellator Fighting Championship in May 2010.
Lewis became scheduled to make his promotional debut at Bellator 45 in 2011, against Brazilian Thiago Santos.
Howbeit, the bout gets cancelled when Santos had to pull out because of an injury. Derrick then compiled a 6–0 with one no-contest after leaving Bellator, most notably won and successfully defending the Legacy FC Heavyweight Championship. Soon enough, he then signed for the UFC.
Derrick Lewis Education:
Аftеr Dеrrісk Lеwіѕ graduated from Cypress Springs High School. He then moved ahead to ѕtudу аt Кіlgоrе Соllеgе.
The American mixed martial artist was nоt ѕо kееn оn ѕtudіеѕ аnd was аlwауѕ іnсlіnеd tоwаrdѕ аthlеtісѕ. Contrariwise, Lewis enjoyed a college scholarship as a promising footballer.
While attending Kilgore College, Lewis violated his probation and got sentenced to five years in prison.
After prison, Lewis could not return to college. Soon, he got employed as a tow-truck driver and returned to boxing.
Derrick Lewis Biography – Road to Fame:
The American combat sportsperson has competed across the Bellator, Legacy, and UFC promotions. In 2014, he signed with the UFC after having a two-year streak as the Legacy heavyweight champion.
That same year, he made his debut and became victorious via TKO in the first round. Also, in his second scuffle for the promotion, Derrick faced Guto Inocente at the Ultimate Fighter 19 Finals on the 6th day of July 2014.
He triumphed over the tournament via KO in the first round. After which, he took part in several games and emerged victorious in most of them. Lewis faced Matt Mitrione, Ruan Potts, and Shawn Jordan.
Viktor Pešta replaced his opponent with Anthony Hamilton because Hamilton became forced out of the bout.
Derrick also wrestled with Gabriel Gonzaga in 2016. The tournament earned him his first performance of the Night bonus.
Derrick Lewis Biography- Rise to Fame:
In 2017, Lewis and his opponent, Travis Browne, got awarded Fight of the Night for their performance.
After all, he triumphed over the competition via knockout in the second round. Much later in the same year, he earned his second consecutive fight of the Night bonus award, even with a loss.
After the loss, Lewis announced he was likely retiring from mixed martial arts. Contrariwise, Lewis revealed in the next month that he ultimately would continue wrestling.
He then faced Fabrício Werdum, Marcin Tybura, Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, and Daniel Cormier for UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Even though he lost to Cormier, the scuffle marked his fist into submission in a professional MMA tournament.
The outstanding performance against the Russian player Alexander Volkov became the breakthrough point in his career: Derrick had the chance to become a heavyweight champion. With all that, he failed in it.
After the impressive contention, Derrick signed a new contract with the UFC in 2019. Progressively, he faced Aleksei Oleinik in August 2020.
Derrick won the bout via TKO, setting the record for most knockouts by a heavyweight in UFC history.
We expected Lewis to face and defeat Ciryl Gane on the 7th day of August 2021 at UFC 265 for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, he lost the interim UFC Championship with a TKO in the third round.
So far, he has рlауеd 33 mаtсhеѕ where he won 20 by Кnосkоut, one by Ѕubmіѕѕіоn, аnd four by Dесіѕіоn, but he lost four by Кnосkоut, one by Ѕubmіѕѕіоn, аnd two by Dесіѕіоn. The clip beneath displays several of Derrick Lewis’s top finishes.
Who is Derrick Lewis Dating?:
Despite the busy career schedule of the American professional MMA, It will interest you to know that he is not just in a relationship.
Derrick Lewis is married to his long-standing girlfriend, April Davis. Below is a photo of the amazing couple.
The American UFC champion Derrick Lewis met his wife, April Davis, through his cousin. They initially talked via phone calls before Derrick visited April in her house, and the rest, they say, is history.
So, the duo got married in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the 17th day of June 2017. The couple together has three kids; two sons and one daughter. Again, we don’t have details about their three children.
Upon all that, a report has it that April Davis became furious over Derrick’s supposed crush on a female UFC wrestler, Ronda Rousey.
She has refused intimacy over the incidence, to which Lewis has declined to Oblige. Consequently, Derrick responsibly committed the terrible mistake of publicly expressing he is hot for Rousey.
That same year, rumours had it that Derrick took an interest in his MMA colleague, the former featherweight champion, in the guise of his marital status.
Anyhow, the Champ did not seem to have done anything worth disapproving: he only sent Rousey flowers when she joined the UFC Hall of Fame.
It was probably a part of the PR campaign to raise people’s interest in the struggle between Lewis and Ronda’s husband, Travis Browne. Thus, Lewis’s many implications could aim at irritating the opponent.
Derrick Lewis Family Life:
It’s not possible to belittle the efforts done for Derrick Lewis to have made it. A well-deserved accolade should go to his mother and other members of his household. At this juncture, let’s take a keen look at each of them.
About Derrick Lewis Father:
As aforementioned, the UFC Champions’ father has been absent throughout the life of Derrick. The only connection we can see is just the conception of Lewis shortly before his birth.
Reports had it he abused his wife and kids. This attitude must have fuelled loads of anger in Derrick, leaving the wrestler’s fist ready for combat any moment.
We have no further details about him. Even at that, his supposed children have nothing to do with him.
About Derrick Lewis Mother:
The saying goes, a woman’s strength does not get measured by the impact that her hardships in life had on her. But the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate to her and who she becomes.
Derrick’s mum is the epitome of what the strength of a woman can achieve. Although a single other, she unrelentingly took care of her Seven kids to the best of her ability.
And yes, we can say she did a great job so far. She worked in a Shipyard, struggling to keep her body together.
About Derrick Lewis Siblings:
Like we have mentioned before, the young Champ has six other siblings. He is the second among his six siblings.
Guess he also has the responsibility to cater to his other sibling’s welfare, assisting his mum. In all this, we have scanty information about their names, whereabouts, or what they do.
Derrick Lewis Relatives:
The American Mixed Martial Artist should have other relatives. Derrick Lewis has a few of his extended family members aside from his parents, such as uncles, aunts, and grandparents. Even with that, we grasp little about them.
However, according to Derris, one of his Cousins named Kendrick linked him up to meet his wife, April Davis.
Personal Life:
Despite the busy routine of a celebrity athlete, Derrick Lewis still creates opportunities for leisure.
As often called by his loving fans, the Beast enjoys boxing, soccer, listening to music and working out in the gym. He loves watching wrestling competitions and playing video games.
Moreso, he tries to spend quality moments with his wife, April Davis, and his three kids. On the other hand, he is not a social person and prefers to stay indoors most.
So, he reaches out to his rising fans via social media. With over 2.1 million fans on Instagram, Lewis remains among the most pivotal figures of the sport.
Derrick Lewis Lifestyle:
The UFC athlete is a true veteran of the sport. Derrick Lewis has raked in 25 victories in his 33 professional Mixed Martial Artist outings.
As of 2021, he ranks at #2 in UFC heavyweight rankings. Against his accolades, he remains humble.
Derrick Lewis can afford any top cars from Ferraris and Porsches to Lamborghinis and expensive apartments with his vast achievements. Dеrrісk rесеntlу rеѕіdеѕ аt Сурrеѕѕ, Техаѕ, U.Ѕ.
Derrick Lewis – Salary and Net Worth:
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Derrick’s net worth goes over $1.5 million. As of July 2021, he has roughly UFC career earnings of over $3,931,000, as per The Sports Daily. Worthy of note is that the most of Derrick Lewis wеаlth соmеѕ from his сhаmріоnѕhір tournament in ММА.
In his wrestle against Aleksei Oleinik in 2020, Lewis earned a whopping $315,000. His most sized appearance purse ($530,000) came from his contention against Daniel Cormier at UFC 230.
However, it won’t be wrong to predict that his net worth will surge with his latest triumph over Blaydes and all the attention that will come with the rumoured title shot.
Derrick Lewis – Endorsements:
In the wake of UFC 230, a restaurant made public that if Derrick Lewis emerges victorious, they will have free meals for everyone between 2-4 pm on Sunday.
‘The Black Beast’ signed an endorsement deal with Popeyes, Louisiana Kitchen is back at UFC 230. Since then, he has sponsored several brands. The UFC wrestler revealed he would get free food at that location for the rest of his life.
Derrick Lewis Untold Facts:
Besides the information stated above, below are trivia facts about Derrick Lewis that would tickle your fancy.
Fighting Style:
The Former welterweight title champion Dan Hardy has described Derrick as a wrecking ball.
In addition, “Every moment we’ve spoken about Lewis before, regardless of whether he is opposing Daniel Cormier, or whether he is fighting Volkov, or whether he is fighting Ciryl Gane, the same thing is always present.
Whenever he lands that right hand, it’s game over.” Derrick prefers Stand-up fighting.
Followers and commentators have noted him for his surprising ability to shrug off seemingly the wrestling offence of his opponents. Lewis performs his act while in the bottom and stand-up position.
However, analysts have noted that when facing MMA stars with a background in ‘folk-style wrestling,’ such as Daniel Cormier, Lewis finds it more difficult to escape the bottom position.
Nonetheless, Lewis appeared to ‘stand up’ when threatened with a crucifix position by Roy Nelson, a fighter with a wrestling pedigree. Analysts have attempted to explain this phenomenon.
Service to humanity:
Dеrrісk, who іѕ оftеn referred to аѕ ‘The Вlасk Веаѕt’ ѕаvеd а numbered 100 from hurt. During the flood caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, UFC’s Derrick Lewis spent the day, saving people in Houston.
He pulled about 100 people from the floodwaters in Houston, Texas, via his giant Chevrolet 4×4 truck in his neighbourhood at Cypress. Even though his home was OK, but he used his means to make sure others were OK, as well.
His immense Strength:
On the 18th day of May 2021, Lewis was returning to his car after a workout when he noticed a man allegedly trying to open the door of his vehicle. Lewis reportedly struck the alleged thief and pinned him to the ground until the police arrived.
Derrick Lewis Tattoo:
Just like most martial artists, Derrick has got few interesting body arts that adorn his upper body. The Champ, however, advises if you have to get one, do so while drunk.
Amongst many of his body inscriptions is the one across his chest. It is a big crown inked followed by a pair of gloves under it.
The Crown is the symbol of victory, self-control, and triumph. On the other hand, Boxing Gloves are the Champ’s representation of his passion for boxing and depicts that he is always motivated to defeat his opponents and emerge triumphantly.
Below is a clip describing his body tattoos.
Championships and accomplishments:
Since he signed in with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he has a few accolades to his name. he has won the Performance of the Night (Four times), Fight of the Night (Three times), and Most knockouts in UFC Heavyweight history (12).
Derrick Lewis extra punches – faults Herb Dean:
The UFC Champion explained why he threw extra punches at an unconscious opponent, joking that Curtis Blaydes could have risen like the ‘Undertaker’, a legendary WWE fighter. “He could turn into the ‘Undertaker’ and sit straight up and eat all those shots.
As many MMA fans and analysts interpreted Derrick Lewis’ action as unnecessary and reckless, the No.
However, on a serious note, Derrick Lewis blamed referee Herb Dean for the extra punches he landed on Curtis Blaydes, even after his opponent was already
unconscious. See highlights of the fight below.
Derrick Lewis Biography Summary:
Derrick has contended 33 matches with 25 triumphs and seven losses. Twenty of the wins were by knockouts, four by submission, and one by decision.
However, even if you could not go through all the details above, use the table below to discover concise information about the American Mixed Martial Artist and Champion.
Derrick Lewis Bio Data
| Biography Inquiries: | Wiki Answers |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | Derrick James Lewis |
| Nickname: | The Black Beast |
| Date of Birth: | 7th day of February 1985 |
| Place of Birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S |
| Profession: | mixed martial artist. |
| Wife/Spouse: | April Davis (m. 2017) |
| Children: | 2 sons, one daughter |
| Sun Sign (Zodiac): | Aquarius |
| Hobbies: | boxing, soccer, and working out in the Gym. He loves watching wrestling competions and playing video games. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91m) |
| Weight: | 263 lb (119 kg; 18 st 11 lb) |
| Salary: | $140,000(approx. purse per fight) |
| Net Worth: | $4 million |
| Source of Wealth: | MMA Career and Endorsements. |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Nationality: | American |
| Residence: | Cypress, Texas, U.S |
Conclusion:
In wrapping off Derrick Lewis’s Biography and Childhood Life Story, We hope you learned a few lessons. Although he grew up in a single home, he was unrelenting concerning his bright future.
He discovered how to make the most of his natural ability. Derrick Lewis revealed circumstances that forged his path from prison and abuse to a UFC title shot. See how he channelled his childhood anger into his fight. The aggressiveness in his contest cost him his consistent victories.
Asides from Derrick Lewis’s Bio, we have other related MMA childhood biography stories for your reading pleasure. The Life History of Leon Edwards, Ciryl Gane, and Dustin Poirier will interest you
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Derrick Lewis reveals circumstances that forged his path from prison and abuse to a UFC title shot.
Cole Xavier
Hi there! I'm Cole Xavier, a writer and storyteller with a passion for exploring the lives of famous people through their childhood memories. With a warm and friendly writing style, I hope to engage readers and spark their curiosity about the lives of the famous people they admire.
