Daniel Cormier believes Derrick Lewis is no longer a viable contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division: “I think Derrick’s absolutely done at the top

Daniel Cormier, a former opponent of Derrick Lewis, believes “The Black Beast” is no longer a contender among the UFC heavyweight elites. However, he does back Lewis when competing against the lower echelon of the division.

The heavyweight knockout artist is set to face Serghei Spivac in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 68 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Lewis finds himself coming off two consecutive knockout losses to Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa. The last time the 37-year-old was dealt back-to-back losses was in 2018/19 against Cormier and Junior dos Santos.

Daniel Cormier weighs in on Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac at UFC Vegas 68

On the latest episode of ESPN’s “DC & RC”, Cormier gave his thoughts on Lewis’s position in the heavyweight division and his upcoming bout with Spivac.

“I don’t know if Spivac is the guy,” Cormier said on the show. “I’m trying not to insult Serghei Spivac, because I like the kid. I think he’s a nice guy. I think he’s a good fighter. … He’s still losing to the guys that are ranked very highly, and I just don’t know if Serghei is quite at that level.

“So, I’m gonna tap in that Derrick Lewis wins the fight. I think he’s gonna knock him out, but I do believe that – I think Derrick’s done at the top. I think Derrick’s absolutely done at the top of the division. I just don’t know if he still can’t knock out No. 10, 11, 12, 13, because I just don’t think those guys are as good as they are.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Watch the full show:

Although Spivac has not been fighting the upper tier of the division that Lewis once was, the Moldavian enters Saturday’s bout high on confidence after attaining back-to-back stoppages in 2022 over Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai.

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier? Is Derrick Lewis’s time complete at the top end of the UFC heavyweight division? Let us know in the comments!