A good number of fighters on the current UFC roster, including some of the biggest names, have been vocal about their displeasure with their salaries. But not UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis, who talked about his new contract on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“I threw a crazy number at them, and told them this is what I’d like, it’s the only way I’d fight, is for this certain amount of money. I didn’t even think they’d say ‘okay, yeah, we’ll agree to that amount.’ I didn’t even think they would, and I was like, damn, I should have asked for more money then,” Lewis told Ariel Helwani (via MMA Fighting).
“And so they gave me the right type of contract that I wanted, and that’s the reason I’m fighting right now.”
“It’s six figures but I wish it was seven,” Lewis said. “I wouldn’t be talking to you for free though. [But] yeah, it’s a big bump. I think it’s almost [by] half of what I made last fight. I’m probably one of the highest paid heavyweights right now.”
“The Black Beast” extended his winning streak to six last February with a second round knockout win against Travis Browne in Halifax. He was seen holding on to his mid-section during some moments mid-fight, and told Brian Stann during the Octagon interview that it was because he just “had to do number two.”
Lewis told Helwani that it was actually a result of broken ribs, but also revealed that he is already in the process of healing. In fact, he has been “testing out” his condition in preparation for his next headliner against Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 110.
“Really, the only way I’ve been testing it out is by having sex with my wife,” Lewis said. “That’s the only way I can feel that it’s 100 percent, when she wraps her legs around me, so right now it’s not really hurting as bad as it used to.”
UFC Fight Night 110 takes place on June 11th in Auckland, New Zealand.
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