Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight power puncher, Derrick Lewis, was campaigning for a fight against fellow 265-pound slugger, Francis Ngannou, long before “The Predator” was abe to secure a division title shot against Stipe Miocic.
One that ended in a unanimous decision loss for the Cameroonian.
In the wake of his Boston beatdown, Ngannou decided to step away from mixed martial arts (MMA) to regroup. Once he comes back, Lewis will be ready and waiting — and demanding to see proof of age.
From his conversation with Slip ‘n Dip (via MMANYTT):
“Yeah, I’ll fight [Francis Ngannou] on sight you know. This guy over here, every time somebody ask me a question about him, I say something nice, but every time somebody say something about him, he’s like trying to talk down on me saying I’m not on his level, talking about how I’m too slow and this and that. I really don’t care, but, don’t try and talk shit about me every chance you get. He talks shit, but he’s never like, ‘Oh, I want to fight Derek.’ That motherfucker is at least 40 years-old. They say he was homeless so he probably don’t even know [how old he is]. Tell me where his birth certificate is at. He’s 40, man, juiced up. They say he’s younger than me, there’s no way he’s younger than me.”
Ngannou is listed at 31 against 32 for Lewis.
Before Lewis can worry about settling his differences with “The Predator,” he must first get past heavyweight contender Marcin Tybura at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 126 event on Feb. 18, airing live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
That’s right in the backyard of the “Black Beast,” who is used to making headlines in “The Lone Star State,” albeit for very different reasons. For much more on the upcoming UFC Austin event click here.