Outside Source
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff berth with a harrowing 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, the veteran coach celebrated by beating his chest and blowing a kiss — a move patented by “The Black Beast.”
Advertisement
That was no accident, Tomlin said in a recent interview with Rich Eisen.
“That’s a tip of the cap to one of my favorite MMA competitors, Derrick Lewis,” Tomlin said. “That’s his celebration.”
A Matter of Respect
Lewis is a fan favorite UFC heavyweight thanks to both his penchant for knockouts and his sense of humor. “The Black Beast” is the promotion’s all-time leader in KO/TKO victories with 16 and he has twice challenged for UFC heavyweight gold.
“I got so much respect for that dude and how he goes about his business,” Tomlin added.
The 40-year-old Lewis is coming off back-to-back finishes of Tallison Teixeira and Rodrigo Nascimento. He will take that two-fight winning streak into a high-profile matchup against Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324 on Jan. 24.
Tomlin, meanwhile, will lead the Steelers into the NFL Wild Card round against Lewis’ hometown team, the Houston Texans, on Monday.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
Help support MMACrazies.com when you shop Amazon by starting your online Amazon shopping at MMACrazies.com/recommends/amazon. You are not charged extra, but we receive a small and very helpful commission on everything you purchase. Thanks for thinking of us every time you shop at Amazon.
