Derrick Lewis is clarifying comments he made last week that suggested the UFC had directly given him peptides as part of his training regiment for UFC 324.
Lewis made those comments on his new podcast, saying, “UFC provided me with some great peptides, I’ve been taking it every day, and I’ve been feeling a difference.”
The only problem? Nearly all peptides are considered banned substances under UFC’s anti-doping program. Did “The Black Beast” just admit to using illegal drugs given to him by the UFC itself?
Apparently, Lewis simply misspoke. First, UFC anti-doping czar Jeff Novitsky came out and denied the promotion gave him peptides, instead saying Derrick got ‘injectable compounds that are 3rd party tested and certified as allowed at all times.’ Now we have a statement from a company called REGNR8RX and Lewis giving further detail.
“UFC does NOT provide any REGNR8RX products to any persons or athletes,” the statement read. “All products come directly from REGNR8RX. Moreover, Mr. Lewis accidentally misspoke in referring to his supplements as ‘peptides.’ … Any confusion regarding the term ‘peptide’ is due to its increasingly frequent usage in the common parlance to describe any beneficial non-pharmaceutical formulation.
“REGNR8RX does not and will never provide ANY non-WADA-Compliant substance to ANY athlete.”
“All I was trying to communicate was that I have never felt better in my career and products provided by REGNR8RX have made a major difference in my camp,” Lewis said in the same statement. “I misspoke probably because I know that RGNR8RX is a sponsor of the UFC and I know they work directly with many elite UFC fighters.”
“I apologize for any confusion and trouble this may have caused saying I received these products from the UFC but that is not the case. Right after I misspoke, Justin Adams made it clear that the products I have been taking were REGNR8RX products so at the time we didn’t think anything of it.”
REGNR8RX stressed in the release that everything provided to athletes by them is TruShield-Certified to ensure no WADA-prohibited substances are included.
“All REGNR8RX formulations are composed only of molecules which occur naturally in the human body, specifically excluding ANY designed or engineered substances, including experimental ‘peptides,'” the statement read.
All this is good news for those who were worried Derrick Lewis might have talked himself into trouble that could affect his UFC 324 fight against Waldo Cortes-Acosta this weekend. With everything apparently above board, nothing will stop “The Black Beast” from competing on the first UFC Paramount+ card.
