3 reasons why Derrick Lewis can beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 230
It may not be the main event we were expecting, but we are just weeks away from Derrick "The Black Beast" Lewis (21-5-0) challenging Daniel "DC" Cormier (21-1-0) for the UFC heavyweight title when the promotion heads to Madison Square Garden, New York for UFC 230.
While many people are giving Lewis little to no chance of pulling off what would be an incredible upset, that doesn't necessarily mean we should be completely writing off "The Black Beast", as he heads into the biggest fight of his career.
Let's take a look at the top three reasons why Lewis is capable of shocking the world and capturing the UFC heavyweight gold.
#3 Heavy Hands
Let's start with the most obvious reason. Lewis has granite hands and is arguably the most powerful striker in the promotion. In the 21 wins on his professional record, he has had his hand raised following a KO/TKO win 18 times. EIGHTEEN TIMES. That's an incredible 86% of his wins coming via stoppage due to strikes.
While Cormier doesn't exactly have a glass chin and he can absolutely take a shot, not many people who receive the full force of a punch from "The Black Beast" go on to add a W to their record.
If Lewis lands a clean shot with that giant right hand, he becomes the new UFC heavyweight champion.
#2 Resilience
Yes, Lewis has a questionable gas tank, and yes, Cormier has some of the best cardio we've ever seen. The key for Lewis dealing with that cardio disparity is his resilience. Very few fighters at heavyweight have the ability to absorb punishment and keep going the way Lewis does.
Time and time again, the Texas native takes countless shots, and looks to be on the way to losing a fight but quitting just isn't in his nature. If you don't knock him out, you better believe he will keep coming forward looking to collect your head.
For Cormier, this presents a unique challenge. "DC" relies heavily on grinding out victories by dragging fighters into unfamiliar deep waters, safe in the knowledge that most, if not all, will give up in some shape or form and give him the opening he needs to end the fight.
That just won't happen against Lewis.
The 33-year-old has never been submitted in his 27 professional fights and unless Cormier is able to knock him out early, he's going to be forced to spend five rounds staying well away from the granite hands Lewis carries in his gloves, knowing that even one slip-up could cost him his title.
#1 Cormier isn't 100% healthy
Heading in to the contest, it's no secret that Cormier is still struggling with the broken finger he suffered during his dispatch of Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. Cormier himself has admitted that he's still struggling to make a closed fist with his injured hand and that seems unlikely to change during his preparation to face Lewis in just three weeks.
As far as Lewis is concerned, this could absolutely play to his advantage. "The Black Beast" is notorious for eating his fair share of strikes on the way to picking up wins, and assuming "DC" is able to land some solid shots without putting Lewis down, there is every chance that his injury could get significantly worse during the fight.
Admittedly, Cormier is dangerous in every area, but knowing that his arsenal is potentially one weapon short will give Lewis the confidence to step forward and throw without fear of receiving a heavy counter punch.
For the purpose of this list, let's ignore the extremely high likelihood that the injured Cormier uses his world class wrestling to take Lewis down and control the action without the need to throw his damaged hand.
Do you think Lewis can pull it off? Have your say in the comments.