Derrick Lewis, 32, had the most human of reactions after fighting Mark Hunt, 43, for four rounds in the main event of UFC Fight Night 110 on Saturday night – he decided he didn’t want to fight anymore. The declaration came when play-by-play analyst Brian Stann asked if Hunt’s low kicks had hampered his mobility.
No, it’s my lower back, not my leg, replied Lewis. My leg is good. [The back] is just a long-time time injury. I hurt it back in 2011 and it has just been hurting all week.
This was probably my last fight, you know. I’m getting married next week, and I don’t like putting my family through all of this so this would be my last fight. … Most likely it’s my last fight in the UFC.
https://twitter.com/ufc/status/873766533817810946
Most likely it’s not.
If Lewis does retire, he leaves the sport with a record of 18-5-1, and career wins that include Travis Browne, Roy Nelson, and Gabriel Gonzaga. Heading into last night’s fight he was on a six-fight win streak, in a division that is notoriously hard to win consistently in. Despite the loss, ‘The Black Beast’ remains a top prospect, with a very compelling online persona, in a sport where that means a great deal.
Don’t leave, please! The division needs you.
