UFC clarifies after KO king claims he was given banned substance before UFC 324 fight

UFC Senior VP of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky has clarified Derrick Lewis’ recent claim about the shape he’s in headed into UFC 324.

Following a lengthy break, the UFC is finally set to return this weekend and formally kick off the promotion’s new deal with Paramount with UFC 324, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV and features a headlining interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.

UFC 324 took a major hit when it lost a highly-anticipated co-main event between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, but the card still features plenty of high-profile fights and will see Lewis try to secure his third win in a row when he takes on Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Jeff Novitzky Clarifies Derrick Lewis' Comments Before UFC 324

The UFC’s drug testing policy featured prominently in MMA headlines the last few days after Mohammed Usman was handed a 30-month suspension for a positive test from last year, and Lewis raised more than a few eyebrows ahead of UFC 324 when he claimed that the UFC has been providing him with “great peptides”.

Derrick Lewis (red gloves) fights Tallison Teixeira (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night. — Derrick Lewis (red gloves) fights Tallison Teixeira (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Responding to a post from Home of Fight, Novitzky made sure to clarify Lewis’ statements and explain that the UFC has provided him with certified “injectable compounds” and not peptides, as the UFC’s all-time knockout leader claimed.

UFC did NOT provide Derrick Lewis with peptides. 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 https://t.co/ogprOsBA7H
— Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) January 19, 2026

“UFC did NOT provide Derrick Lewis with peptides. Peptides are prohibited at all times under UFC and athletic commission’ rules. Derrick is referring to injectable compounds that are 3rd part tested and certified as ALOWED AT ALL TIMES by [TruShield Certified].”

Another Heavyweight Title Run For "The Black Beast?"

Fueled by whatever the UFC has deemed necessary for Lewis at this late stage of his career, the 41-year-old has a chance to potentially make one last heavyweight title run if he’s able to get his hand raised at UFC 324.

Currently sitting at #8 in the UFC’s official heavyweight rankings, Lewis added to his already record-number of knockouts last year when he stopped the previously-undefeated Tallison Teixeira in just 35 seconds when the pair met in the main event of UFC Nashville. The result gave Lewis his first back-to-back wins in several years, as he also stopped Rodrigo Nascimento in the third round of his lone outing in 2024.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Serghei Spivac (red gloves) during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Cortes-Acosta had a five-fight win streak halted by halted by Sergei Pavlovich in August, but “Salsa Boy” rebounded with a pair of first-round finishes in his fourth and fifth fights of 2025 and is ranked as the UFC’s #5 heavyweight contender heading into UFC 324.

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