Derrick Lewis was recently arrested for reckless driving.
On Saturday, November 4, Lewis is scheduled to headline the UFC’s latest event in Sau Paolo, Brazil, against fellow heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida.
Earlier today, ABC13 was the first to announce that ‘The Black Beast’ was arrested in Houston, Texas, for reckless driving only several days before fight night. According to reports, Lewis was driving a red Lamborghini at 136 miles per hour when the speed limit was 50 mph.
The all-time KO/TKO leader in the UFC was detained temporarily before paying a $100 bond to be released. Although he’s not behind bars, Lewis is facing a misdemeanor charge that could lead to a maximum of a month of jail and a potential small fine.
Derrick Lewis is scheduled to make an appearance in court on December 27. Therefore, MMA fans don’t have to worry about the upcoming UFC Sau Paulo main event, as Lewis traveled to Brazil to take on rising superstar Jailton Almeida.
He's a record-setting, viral moment-making heavyweight from Houston, but instead of fight gloves, Derrick Lewis was wearing handcuffs days out from a headlining bout. More details are here: https://t.co/rIaHdmmG0o pic.twitter.com/rYQPpq9AN0
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) October 31, 2023
Derrick Lewis is in Brazil and ready for his main event fight against Jailton Almeida
Once the news about Derrick Lewis went viral, fans began wondering whether or not his reckless driving arrest would affect his upcoming fight. Luckily, the UFC shared a social media post earlier today of Lewis in Brazil and signing posters as he prepares to potentially pull off an upset on Saturday.
On July 29, Lewis was matched up against Marcos Rogerio de Lima while riding a three-fight losing streak. At the time, some fans began questioning how much ‘The Black Beast’ had left in the tank before he quickly flipped the script.
As soon as the first round started, Lewis sprinted at Rogerio de Lima and landed a flying knee, dropping the Brazilian instantly. The Houston native followed up with ground and pound to secure a 33-second win and silence the doubters.
Following his UFC 291 performance, Lewis signed a new eight-fight deal with the promotion.
‘The Black Beast’ now looks to pull off an upset against Jailton Almeida, who was initially supposed to fight Curtis Blaydes on November 4. Lewis stepped in on less than a month’s notice to potentially hand Almeida his first UFC loss.
Almeida made his UFC debut in February 2022. Since then, he’s established a 5-0 record, all wins inside the distance, in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions before committing to the latter.
The number nine-ranked UFC heavyweight now looks to make another statement, this time in front of his home crowd.
