Derrick Lewis won’t be fighting during pandemic: “I can’t be selfish”

Derrick Lewis is not interested in fighting until the coronavirus pandemic is under control. With a family at home, the risks of undertaking a fight camp are simply too great.

Lewis weighed in on the pandemic during a recent interview with MMA Junkie.

“Of course I want to get through this safely,” Lewis said. “I can’t be selfish and stuff like that and go out there and get myself sick and all my family, and bringing back whatever I got and give it to my kids and stuff like that, and my loved ones. So I’ve got to be not selfish enough and just wait and see what the president has to say about everything and just look up to the leaders and just see what they have to say.”

While Lewis isn’t interested in fighting at the present moment, he is hoping to fight again soon. In fact, he has a date in mind: the UFC’s June 27 return to Austin, Texas.

“June – I’ll be fighting in June in Austin, Texas,” Lewis said.

Lewis is known for keeping a busy fight schedule, and intended to keep that up this year, but recognizes that he will have to compromise.

“That was my goal – to shoot (for) four fights this year before all this stuff happened,” Lewis said. “So we’ll see if we can do three. But what it’s looking like right now – it (doesn’t) look like it. So if we can get another one in, that would be great. If not, that’s fine.”

Derrick Lewis last fought at UFC 247 in February when he picked up a close win over Ilir Latifi. Who do you want to see him fight when the coronavirus pandemic eventually subsides?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/2/2020.