Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Derrick Lewis is expected to return to Madison Square Garden, this time against Blagoy Ivanov.
Derrick Lewis is looking to visit a familiar stomping ground against Blagoy Ivanov.
The UFC is looking to match Lewis and Ivanov for UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 2. The bout with Ivanov comes one year after Lewis failed to wrestle the UFC heavyweight title from Daniel Cormier at UFC 230 at MSG on Nov. 3, 2018. The news was reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
Breaking: UFC is working on a bout between Derrick Lewis and Blagoy Ivanov for UFC 244 at MSG. Almost one year to the date of Lewis’ title shot against DC in the same building, and his first appearance since knee surgery earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/mM0LlbEfY1
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 31, 2019
Lewis has publicly suffered back and knee injuries. This fight with Ivanov would mark his first appearance since getting knee surgery. “The Black Beast” (21-7-0-1) is on the first two-fight skid of his career after losing back-to-back fights to Junior dos Santos and Cormier.
Ivanov (18-2-0-1) is trending in the opposite direction with consecutive decision wins over Tai Tuivasa and Ben Rothwell. Ivanov’s last loss also came to dos Santos, in what was the former’s UFC debut.
UFC 244 is just about three months away and no bouts have yet been confirmed, although it’s expected that Kamaru Usman will defend his welterweight title in this event.