Lewis to fight on after mulling retirement following latest bout

Derrick Lewis won't be hanging 'em up after all.

"The Black Beast" announced Monday on "The MMA Hour" that contrary to the revelation he made following his loss to Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 110, he won't be retiring. The ever-active heavyweight has been dealing with several lingering injuries and told Ariel Helwani he intends to get back to peak form and make his next walk to the Octagon sooner than later.

"We're just hoping we don't have to get surgery because I thought about it a little bit, and it's not going to be my last fight," Lewis said. "I'm going to try to get back in there as soon as I can and I'll find out Wednesday, see what's going on and if it's not too serious, hopefully I can get back in there before the end of the year."

Many suspected Lewis had acted on impulse when he announced the TKO loss to Hunt was most likely his last hurrah, but as he told Helwani, the decision to call it a career was in fact premeditated. The 32-year-old ultimately reneged on the plan when former conquest Travis Browne and fellow contender Francis Ngannou drew his ire shortly after he fell to "The Super Samoan."

Related: Lewis fires back at Browne, Ngannou on Twitter

The fan favorite has fought 12 times in just three years and change and is currently nursing a back injury sustained before he joined the UFC in addition to a broken rib and foot suffered in his February win over Browne. And yet, Lewis doesn't look like he'll be lightening his workload once he's healthy. The Black Beast sports a UFC record of 9-3.