Morning Report: Derrick Lewis says he’s hoping to fight Francis Ngannou ‘before he turns 50 on us’

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 - 16:00


Last month, Derrick Lewis got back on the winning track with an epic, third-round come-from-behind knockout of Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night: Austin. The win earned Lewis a Performance of the Night bonus and moved Lewis up to sixth in the official rankings but he’s also hoping it got him a fight with fellow heavyweight standout Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou and Lewis have been exchanges barbs in the media for the last year but with Ngannou being fast-tracked to a title shot and Lewis being knocked out by Mark Hunt last summer, a fight between the two has yet to materialize. Now though, Lewis is coming off of an impressive knockout and Ngannou was just dominated by heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, leaving the door open for the heavyweight division’s two most exciting young strikers get together and throw hands. That’s what Lewis wants, though he wouldn’t characterize Ngannou as “young.”

“Yeah hopefully we can get something done this year man,” Lewis told the Slip n’ Dip podcast recently. “Hopefully we can get something before he turns 50 on us.”

Lewis has been pursuing a fight with Ngannou for some time now and even said before his bout with Tybura that he would call out Ngannou after his win. Unfortunately for Lewis, Ngannou doesn’t appear to be in any rush to fight “The Black Beast.” After coming up short in his title shot at UFC 220, Ngannou announced that he would be taking some time off of MMA. Lewis is okay with that though, saying that he’d be happy to fight anyone ahead of him in the rankings, so long as the UFC paid him for it.

“Usually after every fight I tell [the UFC], ‘I would like to fight this guy,’” Lewis said. “I try to pick the toughest guys out there. I don’t try to pick anybody that’s behind me, I try to pick everybody that’s ahead of me in the rankings. So it’s the top five, top six. I try to pick one of those guys that’s available. I told them Francis, I told them [Alistair] Overeem, even a rematch with Mark [Hunt]. [Curtis] Blaydes. Fabricio [Werdum].”

Of the fighters mentioned, Blaydes and Overeem are in discussions to fight at UFC 225 and Hunt knocked Lewis out just last year. Werdum, however, is fighting Alexander Volkov next week at UFC London and should he get past the former Bellator champion, a fight with Lewis could make sense while Miocic defends the title against Daniel Cormier. Lewis does not particularly care, just so long as he can get back in the cage early this summer, because, as he puts it, MMA is his job.

“I would like to fight hopefully in May or June,” Lewis said. [The International Fight Week card] doesn’t matter, I’d really like to fight earlier than that. . .

“There’s nothing I really want to accomplish. I already set my family up pretty good right now. I don’t care if I ever fight for the belt or get the belt. It’s a job to me, basically. I’m not trying to be the best fighter in the world or nothing like that. I don’t come in trying to think I am the best fighter. I don’t care about none of that. It’s just a job to me.”

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VIDEO STEW

UFC 222 Rewind.

The MMA After Hour.

Trailer for the Charles Lewis documentary.

Mighty Mouse telling Frankie Edgar to keep his chin up.

UFC 222 Fight Motion.

Cyborg picking a fight.

Randy talking about DC moving up to take on Stipe.

LISTEN UP

Fights Gone By. Recapping UFC 222, Cris Cyborg’s dominance, and Brian Ortega’s upset.

Anik & Florian. A tribute to UFC Producer Bruce Connal after his passing on Thursday.

Obviously Fight Talk. UFC 222 aftermath with Cody Stamann & Brendan Dorman.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Stitch back.

Two strips.

Talking trash.

Beef.

*Narrator Voice* He was wrong.

FYI.

⚠️PLEASE READ IN FULL!!⚠️ Mike & I are no longer together. I wanted to explain what is going on because there are so many people who have shown me/us so much love and support and have invested into us, and felt like you guys deserve answers. I also don’t want to get hundreds of comments on my photos from here on out about, “where’s Mike” “why aren’t you together” and such. I am a huge believer in God & that everything happens for a reason and everyone in your life is there for a reason. Mike and I are not meant to be together in a relationship but only to be friends and support each other through life. No one can ever know what happens behind closed doors, no matter how great things may seem through social media. We are human and we all make mistakes, Mike unfortunately has a wondering eye and this time it wondered too far and I couldn’t accept anymore. No physical cheating happened but enough was said that I hit a limit I couldn’t return from. I am not mad. I don’t hate him at all. I hope to remain friends and be someone he knows will always tell him how it is and can always receive honest advice from. I have no regrets at all, only wonderful memories of good times. I wish him nothing but the very best and still know that one day he will achieve his dream of becoming UFC welterweight champion. “Que sera, sera” whatever will be will be, the futures not ours to see. I am excited to embark on my new life journey. I have no idea where it will take me, the places I will go, or the people I will meet. If you would like to come along with me on this journey I invite you to stay and see where it goes and if you have no interest I can completely understand. Thank you for the continued love and support. Xo (This did not happen this week or weekend, it’s been awhile. There is also no need and I really prefer no one dm me things about what he’s doing or putting on his story etc) thank you.

A post shared by Danielle Nickerson (@platinumprincessofficial) on Mar 6, 2018 at 9:41am PST

Killer collection.

Blue collar work ethic,

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Gary Tonon (0-0) vs. Richard Corminal (4-3); ONE Championship, March 24.

Milana Dudieva (11-7) vs. Christina Marks (8-9); Invicta FC 28, March 24.

Zabit Magomedsharipov (14-1) vs. Kyle Bochniak (8-2); UFC 223, April 7.

Ryan LaFlare (13-2) vs. Alex Garcia (15-4); UFC Atlantic City, April 21.

Tony Martin (12-4) vs. Keita Nakamura (33-8-2); UFC Atlantic City, April 21.

TODAY IN MMA HISTORY

2009: Quinton Jackson won a unanimous decision over Keith Jardine at UFC 96.

2014: Eduardo Dantas successfully defended his Bellator bantamweight title by submitting Anthony Leone at Bellator 111.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Take it easy and see y’all tomorrow.

EXIT POLL

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Source: 
https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/3/7/17087436/morning-report-derrick-lewis-says-hes-hoping-to-fight-francis-ngannou-before-he-turns-50-on-us