Derrick Lewis is looking for a fight that means something both to himself and his fans.
Derrick Lewis is one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division. Although he has never won a UFC title, Lewis has been a mainstay in the top five for many years. Now that his title aspirations might be dimming, Lewis is looking to make a different kind of impact in the division and in his career. Lewis has an idea that excited him for his next Octagon appearance, and he believed it will excite fight fans as well.
“This last fight helped me,” Lewis told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about his loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265. “It was a big experience difference and I just wanted to finally go into a fight week and not put pressure on myself, and it felt great. I plan on doing that for the rest of my career—just go out there and have fun.
“I feel like I don’t have to prove anything and that’s one of the reasons why I want to fight Stipe next. I believe that would be a great matchup for the fans and for both of us. He’s more of a wrestler, and I’m more of a wrestler, too. So it would be a great, entertaining fight.”
Lewis’s last time out was against Chris Daukaus in December. That matchup got Lewis back in the win column following his interim title shot loss to Gane. The loss to Gane was the only blemish on Lewis’s resume in that past six fights. Without the belt around his waist, Lewis is ready for a fresh face next.
“I’ve fought just about everyone in the division in the top-10. It’d be a new face, new blood, and I believe I’d be a heavy underdog in this fight,” he said. “I can get my fans their money back from the Gane fight.”
Lewis’s target of Miocic has not been reciprocated at this point. Miocic’s last outing was back in March when he lost his title to Francis Ngannou. Miocic has mentioned waiting on another shot at the belt, but he may be open to a fight in the meantime, and Lewis could be a good option.
What do you think of the hypothetical matchup between Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis?
