Derrick Lewis is tired of getting disrespected by the bookies.
Lewis was a +200 dog coming into his UFC Nashville fight against hot prospect Tallison Teixeira, who was as much as a -275 favorite on some sportsbooks. But when the bell rang, it was “The Black Beast” who took over, knocking Teixeira out in just 35 seconds (watch the highlights here).
“I can’t believe I was a underdog against a guy like that,” Lewis said on the ESPN post-show. “You know, I’ve been in this sport for a long time. Even though I had a couple of injuries or some things that came up lately, I still shouldn’t have been an underdog. And plus, they was talking trash all week.”
Lewis was clearly motivated by his dislike for Teixeira and the vibes coming off the rest of Team “Xicao.”
“My coach had got into with their coach also, he said. “It was bad blood, and I didn’t like how the guy was smiling all in my face also at the weigh-in.”
“I just hate that guy’s face. I hated him. I probably didn’t hate no other opponent by him. I hated him the most. Just his smile. I couldn’t even really watch highlights of him because I kept just seeing a smile on his face. I hate that guy.”
When asked who he’d like as a next opponent, Lewis picked “Salsa Boy” Waldo Cortes-Acosta, who recently decisioned Serghei Spivac at UFC 316 — not Walter Walker, who just ripped apart another fighter’s ankle earlier that evening.
“The Waldo guy, since he called me out, I want him,” he said. “The Dominican dude that say he’s not black. He’s Dominican.”
As for when? Lewis said he’s ready to turn around ASAP.
“Next month or in two months or something like that,” he requested. “Hopefully, they they don’t put me on the sideline for a while … I’m gonna have to call the president if they do.”
And if he beats Cortes-Acosta in under a minute, should we be talking about a title shot?
“S—t, I ain’t getting no younger,” Lewis said. “Of course I would like the title shot.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
