It was originally expected that the rematch between heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou and challenger Derrick Lewis would take place in August. Now it appears that the bout will be delayed, at least by a few weeks.
Originally expected to take place on August 7th, Ngannou vs Lewis 2 was a bit controversial to begin with. Many fans were hoping to see the newly crowned champ defend his belt against Jon Jones instead.
Now, according to reports, the bout will be delayed from its original August date. Instead, it seems the UFC is hoping to have it scheduled at some point in September, with the specific date still to be determined.
“UFC hoped to book Francis Ngannou x Derrick Lewis 2 for Aug. 7 but that is currently looking like a long shot at this point, sources say. Scheduling conflicts,” Ariel Helwani reported.
“Nothing finalized at the moment but September is now a new target, I’m told.”
UFC hoped to book Francis Ngannou x Derrick Lewis 2 for Aug. 7 but that is currently looking like a long shot at this point, sources say. Scheduling conflicts.
Nothing finalized at the moment but September is now a new target, I’m told.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 23, 2021
Is Francis Ngannou vs Derrick Lewis The Right Fight?
At this point, it seems that this question is rather irrelevant, given the fact that the UFC seems intent on booking it. Although it is worth noting that Francis Ngannou himself has regularly stated that he would rather fight Jon Jones, and the obvious payout potential of this fight.
That said, the more relevant question here seems to be, if this delay opens the door to renegotiations for this massive bout. After all, the former light heavyweight champion has recently brought in new management, someone who Dana White has admitted to respecting.
At the end of the day, it is impossible to ignore how low the anticipation level seems to be for Francis Ngannou vs Derrick Lewis, among the fans. On the other hand, that does not really do anything to disrupt the UFC on most occasions, so fans should probably expect to see these two rematch this fall.
