Derrick Lewis is one of the biggest rising stars in the UFC, and one of the premier names in the heavyweight division.
"The Black Beast" has picked up wins over the likes of Travis Browne, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Roy Nelson in his career. He is now looking to make a slam statement inside the Octagon to earn himself a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.
That would likely be achieved with a win over one of the division's most feared strikers - Francis Ngannou. Ngannou is arguably the hardest hitter in the UFC and has laid waste to nearly all he has shared the cage with.
He is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight championship. Lewis recently said in an interview that he'd love to fight Ngannou as soon as possible (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“Yeah hopefully we can get something done this year man,” Lewis told the Slip n’ Dip podcast recently. “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.”
What are your thoughts on Lewis wanting to fight Francis Ngannou the next time he steps into the Octagon? Do you think that this is a smart call-out on behalf of "The Black Beast?" Do you think that a win over Ngannou would earn Lewis a shot at the heavyweight title? And who are you picking in a potential Lewis vs. Ngannou fight? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: http://gms.to/writeforgms