Derrick Lewis still harbors animosity towards Daniel Cormier, as evidenced by his negative comments at a media event, although Cormier is unsure of the seriousness behind Lewis’s remarks and sees no reason to revisit their past feud.
Derrick Lewis and Daniel Cormier clashed in the octagon six years ago. But is there still animosity lingering today? It seems so, at least from Lewis’ perspective. During a media day before his upcoming fight with Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton, Lewis didn’t hold back his feelings about Cormier.
When asked which past fight he’d like to revisit, Lewis immediately thought of "DC." He expressed that their previous encounter still bothers him. Is DC really that well-liked?
Lewis didn’t mince words when he described Cormier. He bluntly stated, "I told DC to his face, that guy’s a piece of shit. He’s a scumbag. F*ck DC."
Their original bout was the main event of UFC 230 in November 2018. Cormier successfully defended his heavyweight title by submitting Lewis in the second round. Despite the time that’s passed, it seems Lewis hasn’t let go of his grudge.
When pressed for details on his issues with Cormier, Lewis offered a cryptic yet humorous response. He joked about a beef over a Popeyes chicken sponsorship but then insulted Cormier again. "DC knows why," Lewis said. "Everyone knows why too; he disrespected that Popeyes chicken."
Lewis’ comments quickly spread across social media, leaving many wondering how serious he was being. The often sarcastic fighter’s tone left room for interpretation.
On an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani called Cormier to discuss the situation. The conversation only seemed to add more layers to the mystery.
Cormier hadn’t seen Lewis in some time but acknowledged he had been critical of him in the past. "I was pretty hard on him about retiring," Cormier admitted. "I’m going to see him this weekend and ask, ‘Yo, are you mad at me?’"
Lewis’ recent fight record has been mixed, with three wins in his last eight bouts. Meanwhile, Cormier continues his role as an analyst and podcaster, offering candid opinions on fighters’ performances.
It’s worth noting that Cormier hadn’t seen the clip when Helwani called him. His response was based on hearsay. Whether or not the feud is real, Cormier sees no need to reignite it.
"It sounds like there might be some underlying tension," Cormier mused. Yet he believes their issues should be settled since they already fought once before.