Derrick Lewis Claims He Was ‘Tricked’ Into Fighting Jailton Almeida
In some MMA news, Derrick Lewis has revealed that he was tricked into facing Jailton Almeida at his upcoming against the Brazilian on November 5th, 2023, at Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Lewis will aim to beat Almeida in his own backyard, something which he was unaware of until he accepted the bout. Lewis alleged that he was not told about the location until he agreed to accept the fight.
In addition, the heavyweight admitted that if he was told that the location would be in São Paulo, then the fight would never have been accepted by him. And that has led to a series of circumstances, which has left Lewis not in the best of places.
Lewis On His Fight
“There were also a couple of guys that didn’t want to fight me so we just said ‘OK, that’s fine’. Then a few weeks ago we got a call about this guy (Almeida) and I just agreed straight away. I didn’t know the fight was in Brazil though. It was only after accepting that they told me. I’d always said to my manager I would never fight in Brazil because of the taxes being so bad. So I got tricked into accepting this fight. No, I wouldn’t have taken it. Not at all. I said I didn’t want to fight here and, since arriving, nothing has changed. I can’t wait to go home,” Lewis
This naturally begs the question: Why was Lewis opposed to the idea? Well, the MMA fighter expanded on how the current tax system in place meant that his earnings would be impacted severely if he went through with the bout. And that has resulted in Lewis questioning the viability of it all moving forward.
“No, I wouldn’t have taken it. Not at all. I said I didn’t want to fight here and, since arriving, nothing has changed. I can’t wait to go home,” Lewis
Lewis’ Arrest
This may explain the fighter’s preparation prior to the fight. Lewis was reportedly arrested and charged with reckless driving on October 25th, 2023. The MMA fighter was alleged to have driven 150 miles per hour in a 50 zone in his red Lamborghini.
The charges claimed that Lewis was changing lanes unsafely, all of which occurred ten days before his upcoming fight. Lewis is expected to attend court on December 23rd, 2023.
And if he is convicted, then a fine of up to $200 could follow, as well as up to 30 days in jail. And that is all working against the fighter, who faces a taught bout.
In response to those claims, the following comments showed that Lewis was not in the best state as he sought to dismiss questions over the incident.
“No, no. I don’t even think that was me. That guy had hair, you see the picture, I don’t got no hair, that ain’t me, I don’t know,” Lewis
Ultimately, Lewis has to ensure that he performs on fight night. And there is no getting away from that. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.
