After an impressive victory over Travis Browne in the early hours of Monday morning, Derrick Lewis put the heavyweight division on high alert following his sixth straight win in the UFC. With brute force and explosive power, Lewis would be a tough opponent for any top 5 ranked fighter. The only issue being, there isn’t a top 5 fighter currently available. So who does that leave for Lewis?
Francis Ngannou
As heavy hitters go, this would be a colossal clash. Both have explosive power and both are making waves in the division. Should they ever meet, this would be an excellent platform for either fighter to make a charge for the title. Ngannou would prove a stern test for The Black Beast but this fight would be an absolute barnstormer and one that I wouldn’t envisage going the distance or to the ground.
Mark Hunt
Lewis has expressed an interest in fighting Mark Hunt but whether this would ever develop remains to be seen. Hunt reluctantly agreed to a rematch with Alistair Overeem following the fall out of the Brock Lesnar debacle, but should the Super Samoan see off Overeem another clash of two explosive hitters could very well be on the cards.
Alistair Overeem
Although not available at the moment, as previously mentioned, Lewis could be the next opponent for the victor of the aforementioned Overeem v Hunt fight. Should Overeem claim a second career victory over Hunt, Lewis could find himself in line to face a top 5 fighter after all. With nearly 60 professional fights under his belt, Overeem would be a totally different prospect in comparison to either Ngannou and Hunt. The simple fact with Overeem is you’re either getting knocked out or submitted if he wins but with 10 of his 15 defeats coming by way of KO/TKO, he does have his vulnerabilities and is in the latter stages of his career.
For me, pitting Lewis with Francis Ngannou makes perfect sense although both fighters will be wary of facing such a dangerous opponent in their next fight. However, a victory for either fighter would cement their reputation as a potential title opponent in the not so distant future.