LAS VEGAS — Derrick Lewis has never needed external motivation, but if he did, the sportsbooks may have just provided it. Entering his heavyweight clash with Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324. Lewis finds himself listed as a significant underdog, hovering around +240 at most sportsbooks. The designation hasn’t gone over well with “The Black Beast,” who made his feelings clear during Wednesday’s UFC 324 media day at T-Mobile Arena.
“I don’t be seeing what these oddsmakers be seeing when they’re picking against me,” Lewis said. “Every time, I’m like, ‘What in the hell are they talking about?’ I just watched the same video, the same fights that these people been watching. Are you really serious betting against me like that?”
Experience vs. Momentum
Lewis (29-12 MMA, 20-10 UFC), a former UFC heavyweight title challenger and the promotion’s all-time leader in knockouts, believes his résumé alone should warrant more respect. Across nearly a decade in the UFC. Lewis has shared the Octagon with some of the most dangerous heavyweights of his era and he sees Cortes-Acosta as another familiar look.
“This guy right here, he reminds me a lot of a Roy Nelson, the way his style is a little bit,” Lewis said. “The way he winds up his right hand. It’s just like Roy Nelson, so it ain’t nothing I never seen before.”
Cortes-Acosta (16-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) enters the bout with momentum and youth on his side. Factors that likely explain the betting line. But Lewis believes those advantages pale in comparison to cage time, adversity, and knowing how to finish fights at the highest level.
Prediction: Short and Violent
As he’s done many times before, Lewis is predicting an early night’s work. “First-round knockout,” Lewis said flatly. “He’s going to try to say I poked him in the eye. But it’s not going to be an eye poke. Watch.”
Whether bravado or prophecy, Lewis’ confidence is nothing new. Throughout his career, he’s made a habit of defying odds, silencing critics, and ending fights with a single punch often when least expected. On Saturday night in Las Vegas. Lewis plans to remind everyone why betting against “The Black Beast” has so often been a losing proposition.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
