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Up-and-coming UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney has likened Derrick Lewis to boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
But it wasn't because they're all great heavyweight fighters. McKinney took to social media to post a photo comparing the most iconic quotes of all three combatants.
Ali's most famous line was, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..." Tyson, on the other hand, still gets quoted today for saying, "Everybody has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." What was Lewis' popular quote? It goes like this:
"My balls was hot."
Lewis uttered the now-iconic phrase during a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan after beating Alexander Volkov in a title eliminator at UFC 229. Following his come-from-behind knockout win, Lewis proceeded to remove his fight trunks. Confused, Rogan asked Lewis why he did so and 'The Black Beast' surprised him with a brutally candid answer.
John McCarthy claims Derrick Lewis will never be a champion
Derrick Lewis has come close to winning the title a couple of times, but was never able to get the job done. According to former UFC referee 'Big' John McCarthy, Lewis is perhaps destined to fill the role of a gatekeeper in the heavyweight title picture. During an episode of the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy said:
"He is a gatekeeper, though. 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 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."
Lewis, of course, has had two title shots throughout his UFC tenure. He lost to Daniel Cormier at UFC 230 and fell short against Ciryl Gane in an interim title bout at UFC 265. Interestingly, Lewis is one of only two fighters to own a victory over the reigning heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in the UFC.
Watch John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discuss Derrick Lewis below:
