Derrick Lewis believes he would’ve beat Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 had the fight not been in Houston, Texas.
Lewis is from Houston and admits the lead-up to the interim heavyweight title fight was full of pressure. According to “The Black Beast” that had an impact on him and he says he doesn’t want to fight in Houston again as it was too much pressure for him.
“I don’t even want to experience that ever again,” Lewis said on The MMA Hour. “It was too much pressure, too much pressure. Too much. To the point where I really was calling people up, let me get some weed off ‘em so I can relax my nerves during fight day. That type of pressure.”
The fight against Gane also was the 13-year-anniversary of Lewis’ release from jail. Adding that to the pressure of fighting at home was a lot for the fan-favorite and after the fight, he says he was embarrassed with his performance.
“I don’t think it was like a weight lifted,” Lewis said of his feelings after the fight. “Just real embarrassed. I felt embarrassed to fight. Felt embarrassed, I felt like I should have did a lot more than what I did. I was gun-shy the whole fight. I didn’t want to pull the trigger and I was too stationary. It’s a lot of stuff.
Derrick Lewis Claims Ciryl Gane Fight Goes Differently If It Isn’t In Houston
“I could go on and on about a lot of things that I should have done different in that fight, but it just didn’t happen, so you’ve got to just move on and just better myself. If that time comes again and we face each other again, it will be a different outcome, I believe.”
Although Derrick Lewis was embarrassed, he still believes he has what it takes to beat Ciryl Gane. He also is confident had that fight not been in Houston he would’ve won with ease.
“I say that all the time,” Lewis said. “I believe so, all the time. My coaches believe that as well. Everyone believes it would have been a lot different if it wasn’t in Houston. On that big of a stage and all of that stuff going on, I don’t believe the outcome would have ended like it did.”
