It appears the next big matchup in the heavyweight division is set between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
Lewis made it three wins in a row following his second-round TKO win over Aleksei Oleinik in the UFC Vegas 6 headliner last month. After the fight, Blaydes “called dibs” on facing Lewis next.
And when asked about the prospect of facing Blaydes, Lewis had this to say.
“All he’s going to do is try to grab me and hold me and try to win a decision,” Lewis said at the post-fight press conference. “He’s not going to try to finish me. I’m going to take Curtis Blaydes down and finish him.”
Blaydes found the humor in the comment and accepted Lewis’ challenge shortly after.
“Lol Challenge Accepted,” he replied.
The criticism of Blaydes comes from his wrestling-heavy style where it can sometimes lead to a drab fight. That was certainly the case when the American outpointed Alexander Volkov back in June with UFC president Dana White leading the criticism.
One thing is for sure — a fight with Lewis will guarantee entertainment with the winner likely being next in line to get a title shot. After Francis Ngannou, at least.
Would you like to see this fight next?