It would appear the Derrick Lewis is going to be the first title defense for newly minted heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Ahead of this fight, The Black Beast went off on the former champ Stipe Miocic.
Simply put, the first fight between Lewis and Ngannou was one of the worst fights in heavyweight history. There was a ton of anticipation that the fight would be full of fireworks with somebody going unconscious by the end of it, but what ensued was three rounds of little to no action and a ton of disappointed fans.
That is why it seems kind of surprising that Dana White was so adamant in offering Derrick the first shot at Francis’s new heavyweight title. Yet that is precisely what happened, after negotiations with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones fell through, with the bout expecting to happen in the near future.
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Derrick Lewis Surprised To Get Title Shot
As previously stated it was a bit surprising to hear that Derrick Lewis would be fighting Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title. Not only was their first fight of dud, but there were there other contenders that were perceived to be better, such as Jon Jones or even a third fight with Stipe Miocic.
As it turns out this news was a surprise to Derrick as well. Speaking in the recent interview he explained that he was shocked that the title shot did not end up going to Jones, and that the UFC was unable to come to terms with him financially.
“I’m feeling real good about it. I’m excited for this rematch,” Lewis said.
“I thought for sure that Jones was going to get the title shot first, but everything happens for a reason. I’m not a greedy man, but they going to have to pay.”
Stipe Miocic Is Punch Drunk
Someone else that could have easily gotten the title shot ahead of Derrick Lewis, is former champion Stipe Miocic. After all, he and Francis are 1-1 and a rubber match seemed like a logical move.
However Derek does not agree with this, nor does he think that Stipe will ever have the chance to fight for the belt again. In fact, he believes that the former champion is now washed as a fighter after taking too much damage over the years.
“I think this might be it for Stipe. I believe that he’s punch drunk. He’s been hit too many times so I don’t think he’s going to go anywhere else in his career from this,” Lewis said.
Do you think Derrick Lewis is right about Stipe Miocic? How do you see the rematch between he and Francis Ngannou going down?
