Quotes from Derrick Lewis

I really don't punch with my left hand anyways.

I wanted to start in boxing, but you have to train a little harder to be a boxer. A lot of those guys can take punches. MMA, you only have to hit someone so hard to knock them out.

The one thing about me, if it is a 15-minute fight, I'm fighting every one of them 15 minutes. And if it's a 25-minute fight, I'll be fighting all 25 until the bell rings.

I made my third parole and I believe if I had made it the first time, I wouldn't be here today. I still would've been out there doing stupid stuff.

George Foreman acts more like my grandfather. He and my grandfather act just alike - they're both Christian type guys. They try to help everyone.

I don't care where I'm at in the heavyweight division. As long as I win enough, so they keep me. That's about it.

I set some goals for myself. I really want to run through this whole heavyweight division.

You have 20 fights, you should know what it takes to get yourself ready. If you don't feel like you're ready, you let your coach know 'hey we need to work on a little bit more of this.'

I ain't trying to fight for no title.

A lot of people said I would never make it, and this and that, I'd never be a top 10 fighter, that I'd never fight for a title. Just stuff like that. Achieving all those goals and being the person that I am, this is going against everything everyone said I couldn't do.

For sure, I would love to fight in Houston.

It's like I say all the time, it's the heavyweight division. It doesn't matter if the guys a black belt or if he's a world-class boxer. We still have a 50-50 chance.

I don't care if I am ever remembered in this sport for anything.

I have a couple of properties. Bought some houses and just rent them out.

You eat salad and you're hungry the next 30 minutes and you're hungrier from when you ate the damn salad.

Like a lot of people have said, it's not a bad loss to lose to Mark Hunt, so it's really like a learning lesson.

That would be great if I could be a role model or inspiration to those who have been in my shoes before.

I think Cormier is gonna come out and try to wrestle me, try to get me tired, and try to push the pace. I know he might not say that I'm on his level but I think I am and he thinking that I'm not, really.

I know Cormier is a wrestler so you really got to get them hips down on him so I've been working them hips really good.

That's what really gets me going, thinking about my past. I think about all the tough times and bad times I've had in my life and I bring all that into the Octagon. That's only because it's hard going in there trying to fight someone who didn't do anything to you.

This heavyweight division, it takes just one punch for anyone. It doesn't matter how hard you train or what.

I always had dreamed one day Bruce Buffer's going to be introducing me... Derrick 'The Black Beast' Lewis... and I just always pictured him saying it.

In 2010, Strikeforce came to Houston, and DC was something like 5-0 or 6-0, and I'd seen him at the expo. I seen him walking around and I seen he had a pink cast on his hand, and I was like, this guy is way too fat... because he looked shorter and fatter. Because back then I was slim, I was like 235. So, I was like, man, I could take this guy.

I've been in that situation many times before - where I'm losing and I have to knock a guy out.