Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250: Trump’s Personal Pick for the White House Card
The President’s Pick: Derrick Lewis Added to UFC Freedom 250 at Trump’s Personal Request
When the leader of the free world personally calls to make sure you are on the fight card, you know you have earned your place in this sport. That is exactly what happened to our client Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis.
Dana White revealed the story publicly: “The president said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’ I said, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes.’ I went and called Derrick Lewis, said the president wants to know why you’re not on the White House card.” Lewis’s response was immediate. He told White he absolutely wanted to fight on the card and asked him to pass on his thanks to the President. Just like that, the most anticipated fight card in UFC history had its seventh and final bout. White confirmed there would be no further additions after that: “Unless he calls me and tells me to do something else, there will be no more fights added to the card.”
On June 14, Derrick Lewis faces undefeated heavyweight prospect Josh Hokit on the main card of UFC Freedom 250 at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. For Lewis, it is another chapter in one of the most remarkable careers the heavyweight division has ever seen.
The Black Beast: Built Different
Derrick Lewis was born on February 7, 1985 in New Orleans, Louisiana, raised in a large family by a single mother before relocating to Houston, Texas. A city that became central to his identity as both a fighter and public figure. His path to the UFC was not straightforward. Lewis’s transformation from a troubled youth to a professional fighter began in the late 2000s, transitioning to the professional ranks in 2010 and making appearances for organizations like Bellator MMA and Legacy FC, where he earned the Heavyweight Championship, before signing with the UFC.
What followed was one of the most remarkable runs in UFC heavyweight history. Lewis holds a professional record of 29 wins and 13 losses, with 24 of those victories coming by way of knockout, 86% of his wins ending before the final bell. More than any other statistic, one number defines his legacy: he holds the UFC record for the most knockout victories in the history of the promotion.
The highlights are the stuff of legend. Perhaps none more so than his October 2018 clash with Alexander Volkov, where Lewis was dominated for most of the fight before landing a thunderous right hand with less than 30 seconds remaining, finishing Volkov on the ground in one of the most dramatic reversals in UFC history, the largest negative strike differential ever recorded for a fighter winning by finish. It was a moment that encapsulated everything The Black Beast represents: he is never truly out of a fight until the final horn sounds.
At 41 years old, on the biggest stage the sport has ever seen, with the President of the United States watching from ringside, Derrick Lewis will remind the world exactly why he belongs here.
Derrick Lewis is managed by First Round Management. To learn more about our UFC athlete representation and MMA management services, contact our team today.