Derrick Lewis’ explanation for being in “the best shape of (his) life” ahead of UFC 324 might’ve gotten him into a bit of trouble.
The UFC record holder for wins by knockout, Lewis, who turns 41 next month, returns to the octagon this Saturday when he meets Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a heavyweight clash at UFC 324 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+). During a recent appearance on “The Beast and the Cowboy” podcast, Lewis (29-12 MMA, 20-10 UFC) and his coach, Bob Perez, spoke about “The Black Beast’s” conditioning as the fight draws near, and their words raised eyebrows.
Advertisement
“I ain’t even gonna lie to you: I’m in the best shape of my life right now,” Lewis said (h/t Home of Fight). “Mentally, physically, everything’s going great right now, perfect. The UFC provided me with some great peptides, and I’ve been taking it every day, and I’ve been feeling the difference.”
Added Perez: “I was so proud of Derek today, dude. He was a freaking video game yesterday. … I’d make a call or an adjustment, (and) he would do it immediately. His recovery was stupid. So we did his three (5-minute rounds). Generally on Fridays, it’s the lightest day. He’ll go into strength and conditioning after that, but he wanted to do some heavy bag work after. I was like, ‘Please, let’s go.’ And I was really mind blown how quickly the peptides took effect. It’s gonna be a game changer for him.”
Only one problem: Peptides, which are strings of amino acids that help with cell repair, are prohibited by the UFC’s anti-doping policy. The notion that the UFC provided Lewis “with some great peptides”? That certainly caught the attention of UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky, who attempted to set the record straight on X with UFC 324 less than a week away.
“UFC did NOT provide Derrick Lewis with peptides,” Novitzky wrote. “Peptides are prohibited at all times under UFC and athletic commissions’ rules. Derrick is referring to injectable compounds that are 3rd party tested and certified as ALLOWED AT ALL TIMES by (TrueShield Certified).”
Advertisement
More: Coach: Waldo Cortes-Acosta won’t respect Derrick Lewis at UFC 324
The timing of Lewis’ apparent interview gaffe was less than ideal for the UFC as, just last week, heavyweight Mohammed Usman received a 30-month suspension for testing positive for testosterone and then attempting to deceive the California State Athletic Commission before coming clean about using testosterone and another prohibited substance.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 324: Drug czar clears air on Derrick Lewis’ controversial claim
