The Joe Rogan Experience

JRE MMA Show #105 with Derrick Lewis

Joe is joined by UFC Heavyweight Derrick Lewis.

Joe RoganhostDerrick Lewisguest

Jun 26, 20241h 49mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Derrick Lewis on knockouts, hardship, family, and heavyweight destiny

Joe Rogan and Derrick Lewis dive into Lewis’s recent KO of Curtis Blaydes, his training approach, low testosterone issue, and the technical game plans behind some of his biggest wins. Lewis explains how late-found MMA success transformed his life from prison and poverty to financial security, Ferraris, and a top heavyweight ranking. They discuss conditioning, weight loss goals, injuries, and what it would take for Lewis to become UFC heavyweight champion. Beyond fighting, Lewis opens up about family struggles, social media, fame, and what he wants his post‑fight life to look like.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Game-planning around an opponent’s habits can create fight-ending openings.

Lewis and his coaches drilled counters specifically for Blaydes’ unusual, hinge-style takedown entries, leading directly to the perfectly timed uppercut knockout.

Monitoring health markers is critical, even for elite athletes.

After feeling flat all fight week, Lewis had bloodwork done and discovered very low testosterone levels, reminding fighters to investigate unexplained fatigue rather than simply blaming travel or nerves.

Endurance and weight management are decisive factors for heavyweights.

Lewis admits cardio was his biggest weakness and is now focused on conditioning, experimenting with StairMaster, bikes, and potentially running, with a long-term goal of dropping from ~290 to 245–250 pounds.

Injuries in one area can cascade into major performance problems elsewhere.

A long‑ignored knee injury altered Lewis’s mechanics, contributed to back issues, and eventually forced surgery; once repaired and rehabbed, both his back and overall performance improved significantly.

Mental composure and self-talk inside the cage can be as important as physical skill.

Lewis describes “fighting himself” during bouts—constantly gauging his gas tank, picking spots to explode, and staying calm even when behind on the scorecards, which enables late, dramatic finishes like the Volkov KO.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

I go into every fight like life or death. I enter a deep, dark place every time I step inside the octagon.

— Derrick Lewis

I really just don’t like training. I do it just to take care of my family.

— Derrick Lewis

My name mixed with ‘heavyweight champion of the world’ is so crazy because of my past and the stuff I’ve been through.

— Derrick Lewis

I don’t regret going to prison. I believe I had to go through that situation to be a better man and a better father today.

— Derrick Lewis

At any moment you can drop a hammer on somebody and it’s over.

— Joe Rogan (about Derrick Lewis)

Curtis Blaydes knockout and technical game planningLow testosterone, conditioning, and weight/fitness goalsCareer origins: from street fights and prison to the UFCInjuries, surgeries, and how they changed his performanceFame, money, cars, and complicated family dynamicsParenting, mental health, and social media’s impact on kidsHeavyweight division future: title shots, Jon Jones, Ngannou, and retirement

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