UFC all-time knockout leader Derrick Lewis has a tall task (literally) in front of him for his reported Octagon return.
Derrick Lewis stays one of the crucial intimidating, destructive forces within the UFC after a plethora of untamed finishes contained in the Octagon. While the UFC’s heavyweight division waits for clarity on the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight negotiations, Lewis and a couple of other contenders are waiting within the wings for a shot on the belt.
Lewis has taken on a number of the hardest heavyweights in UFC history during his profession, including Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov. While Lewis has fallen wanting his UFC title aspirations, he stays one in every of the promotion’s biggest fan favorites.
But while Lewis has faced nearly every puzzle conceivable within the UFC’s heavyweight division, few are comparable to what he’ll reportedly face next.
Report: Derrick Lewis targeted for UFC comeback on July twelfth
As reported by MMA journalist Laerte Viana, Lewis will face undefeated heavyweight Tallison Teixeira at a UFC Fight Night targeted for Nashville, TN on July twelfth. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t confirmed nor denied the Lewis vs. Teixeira fight, in addition to the venue and site for the July twelfth UFC Fight Night event.
Teixeira will face a steep climb in competition for his second UFC booking. After earning a contract via Dana White’s Contender Series last 12 months with a one-punch knockout, Teixeira knocked out Justin Tafa in only 35 seconds at UFC 312 in February.
Standing at 6’7″, Teixeira holds a substantial height advantage over the 6’3″ Lewis. But Lewis has fought against taller heavyweights throughout his profession, although Teixeira presents a brand new, fresh challenge to the UFC heavyweight division.
As of this writing, Teixeira is listed because the tallest fighter on the UFC roster. The 25-year-old enjoyed temporary stints in LFA and SFT before attracting the eye of the UFC brass.
UFC Edmonton winner paid homage to Derrick Lewis after his last-second withdrawal
Lewis was presupposed to face Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton in November before withdrawing just hours before the event because of an undisclosed illness. Despite Lewis’s subtraction from the cardboard, that didn’t stop one UFC Edmonton fight winner from shouting out the heavyweight star.
After defeating Ariane da Silva, UFC flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius echoed Lewis’s infamous ‘My balls was hot!’ catchphrase during her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. Lewis made the infamous declaration after a come-from-behind KO win over Volkov at UFC 229.
Lewis hasn’t fought since knocking out Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC St. Louis last May. Before a loss to Jailton Almeida on short notice, Lewis set the all-time UFC knockouts record by ending Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291 in only 33 seconds.
The remainder of the UFC Nashville card is anticipated to be finalized and announced in the approaching weeks.
