Everybody who saw the knockout, couldn’t help but cringe at the extra shots Derrick Lewis landed on an unconscious Curtis Blaydes. In fact, Daniel Cormier is worried about the long-term effects this could have on Curtis.
Cormier is one of the few men who have been able to withstand the heavy hands of The Black Beast. Nearly everyone else Lewis has faced have not been so lucky, with Derrick securing the record for most knockouts in UFC history.
He scored this record with his most recent win, at UFC Vegas 19, where he met Curtis Blaydes’s attempt at a takedown, with an uppercut directly to the face. He then landed two hard shots in the time it took referee Herb Dean to make it over and call a stop to the action.
Daniel Cormier Worries About The Damage
Seeing this brutal knockout had a serious effect on Daniel Cormier. Speaking in a recent episode of the DC and Helwani show, he made it clear that he understood where Derrick Lewis was coming from, blaming Herb Dean for the extra shots.
While he said that Herb did the best he could to get there as quickly as possible, it is hard for heavyweights to take shots like that. In fact, he believes it could have long lasting repercussions on Curtis Blaydes moving forward.
“It’s the referee’s job to stop the fight, and (Lewis) punched (Blaydes) until Herb Dean got there to stop them,” Cormier said.
“The reality is, Herb didn’t do anything wrong. The moment Derrick dropped him, he ran over there as fast he could, yelling ‘Stop, stop, stop.’ Derrick did exactly what he was supposed to do.
“But, you cannot let these guys take follow-up shots at heavyweight. There cannot be follow-up shots at heavyweight. You have to get in there as soon as you can, because those punches, those two punches that Derrick landed, could really, for a long time, have Curtis Blaydes gun-shy now.
“He may not be the same guy when he goes into the Octagon, like ‘Holy cow, I don’t want that to happen again.’ You never know, with those types of knockouts, what kind of effect it has on those guys long-term.”
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What’s Next For Derrick Lewis?
With that win, Derrick Lewis is now riding a four-fight winning streak. Daniel Cormier is aware of the state of the heavyweight division, with champ Stipe Miocic looking to fight Francis Ngannou, and Jon Jones expected to get the next shot. However he says Derrick should stay ready, and act like he’s earned a title shot.
“Here’s the thing, Derrick Lewis needs to be paying close attention to what happens (in Miocic vs Ngannou 2),” Cormier said.
“If Francis Ngannou beats Stipe, and Stipe takes some time away like he’s done, Derrick Lewis fights Francis again, Derrick Lewis could be the UFC champion. That’s a real possibility.”
“He can fight with just about anyone, and it’s all about matchups. He matches up better with Francis, than he does Stipe, I think,” Cormier continued.
“I’d go to Vegas if I were him. I’d go to Vegas March 27th, I’d sit in the arena, and I’d just pay attention. I would make sure those guys know that I’m here in case something happens.”
It will be interesting to see what Derrick Lewis chooses to do next. Daniel Cormier brings up a good point, but at the same time it seems equally likely that The Black Beast would just stay busy. Either way, he is in a good position.
