Derrick Lewis is coming off a big win inside the Octagon under the UFC banner. Now, he is looking for his next possible fight.
Lewis picked up a third-round TKO victory over top prospect Marcin Tybura at last month’s Austin event that took place at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
Once that fight was over, and he was talking with the media who were in attendance at this show that aired on FOX Sports 1, he revealed four names that he would like to fight. Curtis Blades, Francis Ngannou, Fabricio Werdum, and Cain Velasquez.
In previous fights, this hard-hitting heavyweight fighter has gassed out after the first two rounds. However, that wasn’t the case in his latest fight.
Lewis, who really turned it on in the second and third round of this co-main event bout, noted that prior to the finish, he didn’t want to tire out while attempting to finish the prospect.
Lewis still has his eye on those four fighters he mentioned in the past, but he is really hoping to fight Ngannou next. However, he may have to wait for it. Ngannou is coming off a devastating loss to UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic back in January at UFC 220.
After this bout, Francis noted that he is going to take some time off to work on his conditioning and wrestling. Lewis even has target dates in mind for his next fight.
“Yeah hopefully we can get something done this year man,” Lewis told the Slip n’ Dip podcast recently (transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting). “Hopefully we can get something before he turns 50 on us.”
“Usually after every fight, I tell [the UFC], ‘I would like to fight this guy,’” Lewis said. “I try to pick the toughest guys out there. I don’t try to pick anybody that’s behind me, I try to pick everybody that’s ahead of me in the rankings. So it’s the top five, top six. I try to pick one of those guys that’s available. I told them Francis, I told them [Alistair] Overeem, even a rematch with Mark [Hunt]. [Curtis] Blaydes. Fabricio [Werdum].”
“I would like to fight hopefully in May or June,” Lewis said. [The International Fight Week card] doesn’t matter, I’d really like to fight earlier than that …
“There’s nothing I really want to accomplish. I already set my family up pretty good right now. I don’t care if I ever fight for the belt or get the belt. It’s a job to me, basically. I’m not trying to be the best fighter in the world or nothing like that. I don’t come in trying to think I am the best fighter. I don’t care about none of that. It’s just a job to me.”
Derrick Lewis recently trolled Brock Lesnar, leading some fight fans to think about the possibility of these two beasts going toe-to-toe. A Lewis vs. Lesnar showdown is just speculation for now, as Brock Lesnar has yet to announce whether or not he’ll be returning to UFC later this year.
What are your thoughts on Lewis potentially fighting Ngannou next? Sound off in the comment section below.
