Derrick Lewis interested in fighting Alistair Overeem next

“The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis after his brutal knockout win over Curtis Blaydes showed interest in fighting the most decorated heavyweight fighter Alistair Overeem.

Derrick Lewis only needed one shot to land flush to put Curtis Blaydes away in a devastating fashion in the UFC Vegas 19 main event. The vicious knockout came after Blaydes attempted to turn to his wrestling and that’s exactly what Lewis wanted as he timed an uppercut that detonated like a bomb and sent the No. 2 ranked heavyweight crashing to the canvas. Lewis followed up with punches but Blaydes was already unconscious before he hit the ground as the fight was stopped at 1:26 into the second round.

“I’m feeling all right,” Lewis said after the stunning victory. “The first round, second round, I couldn’t get it going. I felt dead out there. That was the only punch I was waiting for the whole fight. The uppercut or the knee was going to land.

Before the finish, the first attempt from Blaydes to get inside was also met with a clubbing punch from Lewis, who let him know right away that he was going to get hit hard every time he tried for a takedown. From there, Lewis seemed content to sit back and counter punch whenever Blaydes moved forward but that meant he was consistently waiting on his opponent to attack.

Just as Blaydes made his first dedicated attempt at a takedown, he was met by a devastating uppercut from Lewis that connected with maximum force. Blaydes immediately crashed to the canvas with Lewis continuing to throw shots until referee Herb Dean could rush in to stop the fight before further damage was dished out. Blaydes laid motionless for a few moments before finally sitting up to ask what exactly had just happened. As for Lewis, he barely broke a smile after his signature ground-thumping celebration but he was happy with the result.

Derrick Lewis wants Overeem next

During his media day obligations for UFC Fight Night 174 in August, Lewis claimed Overeem (47-19 MMA, 13-8 UFC) turned him down three times and Overeem fired back, calling Lewis an “easy payday.” The pair have gone back and forth since then, and it seems Lewis hasn’t forgotten those words.

“Overeem has been talking a lot of smacks,” Lewis said at a pre-fight news conference held Thursday. “I don’t talk trash to fighters, calling them out this and that. Whenever I hear someone talking trash to me then I say something back. Other than that, I’m not worrying about what’s going on with UFC fighters. I’m not keeping up with these guys.”

Derrick continued, “If Overeem is watching this, man, you still got it. Look in my eyes: You still got it. So do not hang them up yet because I do want a piece of that. I want to clap them cheeks.”

Derrick Lewis won emphatically at UFC Fight Night 185, but that won’t change his intentions for his next fight.

Even though Alistair Overeem is coming off a recent TKO loss and Derrick (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) just finished a top contender in Curtis Blaydes on Saturday, “The Black Beast” is still gunning to “clap them cheeks.”

“I want Overeem next,” Lewis told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a post-fight news conference after he knocked Blaydes stiff in Round 2 of their main event. “As I said earlier, I’m already greased and oiled up for him, so we’re ready.”

Two weeks ago, Overeem (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) was battered and finished by Alexander Volkov. While a matchup might not make sense in traditional divisional flow, Derrick Lewis still wants the grudge match and he thinks Overeem might want that fight too.

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Also Read:

UFC Vegas 19: Derrick Lewis brutally knocks out Curtis Blaydes

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