Derrick Lewis Says He’s “Gotta go For The Wrestling” in Hilarious Promo

During his run in the UFC, Derrick Lewis has generated plenty of highlight reel moments with his fists, as well as his words. Well, as the heavyweight contender gets set to face Curtis Blaydes at UFC Vegas 15, Lewis has provided fans more must-see content.

Lewis takes verbal pokes at the striking of Blaydes

If you’re a big MMA fan, you know that Blaydes is widely regarded to be one of the best wrestlers in all of MMA. The powerful fighter has certainly improved his striking; just ask Junior dos Sanatos.

But, the narrative tied to this Saturday’s bout is that the headliner is of the grappler versus striker variety. After all, Lewis is one of the most feared power punchers on the UFC roster.

Well, recently the UFC shared out a promo for this Saturday’s main event, and in it, Lewis jokingly through that narrative for a loop.

Here is some of what the heavyweight contender had to say (quotes via MMA Mania).

“Whenever I watch Curtis fights, I believe that he’s one of the best strikers in the UFC. I’m going for the takedown right off the bat!”

“I don’t wanna get knocked out, I gotta go for the wrestling.”

“I believe that I’m an All-American wrestler now. I don’t wanna do anymore striking or stand with anyone anymore, I just want take ‘em down, just hold ‘em there, win on points.”

“They say I might have the most knockouts in UFC history but … a lot of those guys just took falls.”

Classic Lewis.

But how will the fight play out?

So, unless Lewis is trying to throw a nasty curveball here, he’s going to look to keep the fight standing and tag Blaydes with a booming shot. History shows us that Lewis only needs to land one clean punch.

Now, is there a chance that Blaydes might test the striking waters for longer than most people think?

It’s possible? As noted, Blaydes has improved his striking in recent years, and he has said he’s not overly impressed with the stand-up of Lewis.

But, even if Blaydes doesn’t come out shooting in for a takedown right out of the gate, it would be shocking if he doesn’t turn to his wrestling soon after. There’s no question that Blaydes’ clearest path to victory is to take Lewis down, and to put his top game to work.