The Derrick Lewis next fight news should arrive in the next few months. Until then, we look at three opponent options for his next bout after his scheduled fight at UFC Edmonton fell through at the last moment.
Who will Derrick Lewis next fight be against?
Following a dominant five-round loss in 2023, “Black Beast” was booked to face Brazilian prospect Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton. However, another random health issue forced him out of the fight on the day of the card. Whenever he does return to action, rebooking the Diniz fight, or putting him in fights with either Waldo Cortes-Acosta or Mick Parkin makes sense for his return.
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- Runback: The easiest route to go would be rescheduling the fight against Diniz for an upcoming card on what’s left of the 2024 UFC schedule.
- Salsa Boy: Cortes-Acosta has had a strong start to his UFC career. Going 5-1 in his first six inside the Octagon. Switching from Diniz to fellow Brazilian Cortes-Acosta is a likely route the company goes for Lewis’ next scrap.
- The English prospect: Parkin trains with interim champ Tom Aspinall and is one of the top prospects in the division. Considering how Lewis has been booked recently, pairing the two up makes sense for all involved.
Derrick Lewis vs Jhonata Diniz recap
For Canadian fight fans who bought a ticket to UFC Edmonton hoping to see Derrick Lewis in action, they were let down when he had to pull out of the fight at the last minute.
What happened:Â For the second time in the last few years, Lewis was unable to make it to the Octagon for a planned fight in November due to an unknown health issue. Similar to the last time this happened, his camp claims it was not related to weight-cutting, and he is expected to be back in action soon.
Related: UFC heavyweight rankings – Where does Derrick Lewis land in our latest top 10?
What’s next:Â Rescheduling Lewis’s fight with Diniz makes sense for the promotion and is probably what they will do with “Black Beast” next.
What makes Derrick Lewis so popular?
You would think being named “The Black Beast” should strike fear in the hearts of observers of the sport. However, in the case of Lewis, while he surely gives opponents cold sweats, he has become a beloved and comedic figure in the MMA industry. From his admiration of Popeye’s chicken to his hilariously infamous hot balls moment at UFC 229 in 2018, he has become an adored and one-of-a-kind figure in the UFC.
However, what the Texan has done inside the Octagon is no laughing matter as he has charted a path of destruction over his decade fight in the UFC.
- Derrick Lewis record: 28-12 (23 knockouts, 1 submission)
- Lewis has the most KOs in UFC history at 14. Six of those came in the first round
- During his time in the promotion, Lewis has scored notable wins against familiar names like Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes (twice), Aleksei Oleinik, and even current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou
- Lewis has lost in both of his heavyweight title opportunities. In 2018 versus Daniel Cormier, and last year against Gane in an interim championship bout.
- “The Black Beast” hit a new stratosphere of popularity with his infamous “my balls were hot” moment in 2018. Where he removed his fight shorts before a victory interview with Joe Rogan
- Before he became an MMA star, Lewis spent three-and-a-half years in jail for a parole violation
Derrick Lewis’ net worth
The measure of a fighter often comes down to the bucks they’ve made during a career of fisticuffs. As of right now, Derrick Lewis’ net worth is speculated to be upwards of $2 million.
