Derrick Lewis received a special medal recognizing 75 clean drug tests under the UFC banner ahead of his next appearance at UFC Freedom 250.
The longtime heavyweight was honored on Sunday, with the ceremony taking place as part of the build-up to UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, where Lewis is scheduled to fight Josh Hokit. Lewis was a late addition to the event because Donald Trump asked for him to be added.
Lewis reacted to the honor with his trademark sense of humor. "What was that? Who said I've been clean all this time?" he said, before adding, "That's pretty cool," at the news conference immediately after receiving the award.
The White House setting also made an impression on the 12-year UFC veteran. "This is the first time seeing the White House other than the movies or something like that," Lewis said. "I've been wanting to come in the White House just to see how it is and do some things like Bill Clinton in there and say that I did it."
Lewis, who holds a 29-13 professional record and is 20-11 in the UFC, also reflected on a previous attempt to connect with Trump. "I tried to talk to him on the phone, but the crowd was so loud after my fight in Tennessee that I couldn't really hear what he was saying," Lewis said. "But I did hear his voice. It sounded just like the South Park character."
