UFC 230 is now available on Amazon Prime.
Derrick Lewis has been winning over more than just fans since he explained why he removed his shorts after winning at UFC 229. Returning to action to face Daniel Cormier a mere four weeks later for the heavyweight belt at UFC 230, “The Black Beast” enters as a sizeable underdog in a title fight he admitted he was not prepared for after his fight in October.
Ever a fan favorite, his fight with Cormier seems to focus on an exchange they had regarding the champ’s handling of Popeye’s Chicken. Back at the UFC 226 pre-fight press conference, when Cormier said he was being sized up by Lewis and asked him why, Lewis’s response was “Because you disrespected that Popeye’s Chicken.”
Popeye’s seems to be all in on Lewis — according to Lewis’s social media post, if he wins at UFC 230, a Popeye’s location in Cypress, Texas, will let him eat there “free for the rest of his life.”
“If Derrick Lewis wins eat for free from 2-4 on Sunday” at Popeyes on 9120 Barker Cypress Rd, Cypress, TX 7743. Also Derrick Lewis will eat for free at this location for the rest off his life!! pic.twitter.com/Zu7khi71am
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) November 1, 2018
If Lewis wins, fans win too, with the post also stating that from 2-4 p.m. the following Sunday, everyone eats there for free.
A fun reward that helps promote both a brand and UFC 230, Lewis has also done some serious work in his home state of Texas, where in 2017 he helped flood victims of Hurricane Harvey. “There was a lot of guys out there, just going back and forth taking turns and going to each house, and rescuing everyone,” Lewis told UFC.com when he was helping out. “It was close to my house, so I said I’ll help.”
Fighters create images of tough guys when booking fights. Some trash talk, others play the role model, but Lewis does something different — he just acts like a good guy. If he prevails on Saturday night, he can win in more ways than one.
Edward Carbajal serves as the lead MMA analyst for Frontproof Media and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a brown belt in Ishin Ryu Karate. He has covered combat sports since 2014 and has been a fan of MMA since the first UFC. You can follow Edward on Twitter @Carbazel or at his website TheBlogBoardJungle.com.
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