Derrick Lewis’ 'Best Shape of My Life' Claim Raises Eyebrows Ahead of UFC 324

UFC Steps In to Clarify

There was just one problem: peptides are prohibited under the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

With UFC 324 less than a week away, Lewis’ comments quickly drew attention including from Jeff Novitzky. The UFC’s senior vice president of athlete health and performance.

Novitzky moved swiftly to clarify the situation on social media.

“UFC did NOT provide Derrick Lewis with peptides,” Novitzky wrote on X. “Peptides are prohibited at all times under UFC and athletic commissions’ rules. Derrick is referring to injectable compounds that are 3rd party tested and certified as ALLOWED AT ALL TIMES by (TrueShield Certified).”

In other words, Lewis’ wording not necessarily his actions appears to have been the issue.

Bad Timing for a Slip of the Tongue

The timing of the confusion could hardly have been worse for the promotion. Just last week, heavyweight Mohammed Usman was handed a 30-month suspension after testing positive for testosterone and then attempting to mislead the California State Athletic Commission before eventually admitting to the use of multiple banned substances.

Against that backdrop, even the suggestion that a UFC fighter was receiving prohibited performance-enhancing compounds especially from the promotion itself was always going to set off alarms.

Focus Returns to Fight Night

For Lewis, the controversy appears to be little more than a verbal misstep, but it underscores how closely fighters’ words are scrutinized in the post-USADA era of UFC anti-doping enforcement.

Inside the cage, though, nothing has changed. Lewis remains one of the most dangerous knockout artists in MMA history, and Cortes-Acosta represents another test for a veteran trying to prove he still belongs among the heavyweight elite.

If Lewis truly is in the “best shape of his life,” he’ll get the chance to prove it Saturday night without any ambiguity required.