Heavyweight knockout specialists Derrick Lewis and Roy Nelson are set to face each other at UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez on Thursday, July 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Derrick Lewis has been angling for a fight with Roy Nelson for several months, and now he’s actually getting it. “The Black Beast” himself announced the news on Twitter, including date (July 7th) and location (Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena).
My next fight is July 7th in Vegas vs Roy Nelson #ufcfightpass pic.twitter.com/vufN9eKOBV
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) April 30, 2016
Earlier this month, Lewis (15-4, 1 NC) traveled to Croatia for a short notice fight against Gabriel Gonzaga, and knocked the former UFC title challenger out with vicious punches at the end of round 1. The win netted him his first $50,000 performance bonus, as well as extended his winning streak to 3. Lewis has had 8 UFC fights and has either won by KO/TKO (6 times) or lost by KO/TKO (twice – to Shawn Jordan and Matt Mitrione). During this winning run, the 31-year-old has also stopped Damian Grabowski and Viktor Pesta.
Nelson (21-12) snapped a three-fight losing skid with a unanimous decision win over Jared Rosholt at UFC Fight NIght: Hendricks vs. Thompson in February. Not only is it the only decision win Nelson has had in the UFC, it’s his first one since beating Shane Ott in IFL way back in 2007. “Big Country” is known for his powerful right hand, which has felled numerous foes in the UFC. His last KO win was a stiffening shot vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Abu Dhabi in April 2014.
UFC Fight Night 90 is headlined by a lightweight championship bout between titleholder Rafael dos Anjos and former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez. The entire card streams live exclusively on Fight Pass, and is the first of three shows in three nights for the UFC, ending with UFC 200 on July 9th.