The UFC is looking into adding a UFC heavyweight title fight to UFC 230 on short notice.
With a less-than-stellar headliner currently in place for UFC 230 on November 3rd, the UFC is looking to add something that fans might be a little more into. And that could involve the heavyweight title. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is reporting that the promotion is looking into booking champion Daniel Cormier vs. UFC 229 winner Derrick Lewis as the new headliner on less than a month of notice:
Per sources, UFC has opened talks around a Daniel Cormier vs. Derrick Lewis heavyweight title fight to headline UFC 230 on Nov. 3 in New York. This would be coming, obviously, off of Lewis’s come-from-behind win on Saturday at UFC 229. Not a done deal, but it’s being explored.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 9, 2018
Cormier (21-1, 1 NC, 10-1, 1 NC UFC) was expected to defend his title against former UFC champion and current pro wrestling star Brock Lesnar in early 2019. However, Lesnar hasn’t been signed to a UFC contract yet and is making huge money working select shows for WWE right now, so that fight might not be as cemented in place as most originally thought.
Lewis (21-5, 1 NC, 12-3 UFC) needed almost every second of his bout with fellow top contender Alexander Volkov over the weekend in Vegas, picking up a huge comeback victory via knockout with very little time left in the third round. He is currently on a three-fight win streak.
One problem with this plan is that the recently-released UFC 229 medical suspensions have Lewis on the sidelines until November 6th with no contact until October 28th. Medicals can usually be cleared with doctor approval, but it is something that could potentially stand in the way of these two getting after it next month.
Right now, the main event for UFC 230 will see Valentina Shevchenko facing off with Sijara Eubanks for the vacant UFC women’s flyweight title. In addition to that, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz will meet in a pivotal lightweight battle in the co-main.