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    Derrick Lewis Sets Sights On ‘Entertaining’ Fight With Former Champion Stipe Miocic Next

    ByRoss Markey

    Jan 6, 2022

    UFC heavyweight knockout king, Derrick Lewis has called his next shot after recently returning to the winner’s enclosure. And wants to share the Octagon with former two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic next.

    Lewis, who headlined UFC Vegas 45 back in December, became the most prolific knockout artist in the entire history of the organization – stopping Philadelphia native, Chris Daukaus with an impressive opening round knockout win.

    The victory returned the New Orleans-born favorite to the winner’s enclosure following an August main event slot against Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 – where he dropped a third round ground strikes knockout defeat in an interim heavyweight title fight. 

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    Calling his shot at whom he wants to share the Octagon with next, Lewis, who now sits at #3 in the official heavyweight division off the back of his win over Daukaus, eyes a showdown with Miocic next – joking that the two are prominent wrestlers. 

    “I want to fight Stipe (Miocic) next,” Lewis told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I believe that’d be a great matchup for the fans. He’s more of a wrestler and I’m more of a wrestler as well. So it’d be a great, entertaining fight.”

    In his most recent outing, Ohio native, Miocic suffered a heavy second round knockout loss to current heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March – dropping his title in the pair’s title re-run. 

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    Miocic had previously established a two-fight winning run against former two-weight champion, Daniel Cormier – avenging a title loss with a rematch knockout win before besting the veteran with a trilogy rubber match unanimous decision win at UFC 252 in August 2020. 

    The owner of 13 knockout triumphs under the banner of the UFC, Lewis had embarked on a stunning four-fight winning run before his one-sided defeat to Gane, including knockouts win over both Aleksei Oleinik, and Curtis Blaydes, after decision successes against the duos of Ilir Latifi, and Blagoy Ivanov.

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