The Derrick Lewis next fight news is now unclear, after the beloved “Black Beast” and his fight at UFC Vegas 65 with Sergey Spivak was canceled at the last minute. However, chances are the matchup will be rescheduled for an upcoming event on the UFC schedule.
Who will Derrick Lewis next fight be against?
On Nov. 19, Derrick Lewis was set to battle No. 11 ranked heavyweight Sergey Spivak. The matchup was expected to serve as the main event of UFC Vegas 65. However, on the day of the bout, a health issue knocked the 37-year-old out of the fight hours before it was set to take place.
The following day he was medically cleared, which now leaves open the strong possibility the matchup is rescheduled for a UFC event in the next month or so.
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Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak preview
Lewis enters his matchup on a two-fight losing streak. The two-time title challenger has never lost three straight and needs a win to try and get back into the top five of the division. However, Spivak seems to be rounding into the best version of himself and will be a serious challenge for Lewis on fight night.
Where is the Beast’s Head: At 37, Lewis is in his prime years as a heavyweight. However, he has twice made the climb to contention and was turned away each time. After an eight-year run in the promotion, one has to wonder if he is fully engaged mentally, to make the difficult climb back near the top a third time, especially with his lingering back issues.
An Evolving Polar Bear: “The Polar Bear” has become a serious player at heavyweight over the last two years. He has won five of his last six and scored big wins over established fighters like Augusto Sakai and Alexey Oleinik.
The Moldovan has a very well-rounded attack and will likely take this to the bout ground and exploit Lewis’ biggest weakness.
The bottom line: The matchup is an important fight for both men. Lewis must win to stay relevant and avoid a three-fight skid, while Spivak is looking to earn by far the biggest win of his career and get closer to title contention in 2023.
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 21 Octagon appearances.
- Derrick Lewis record: 26-10 (21 knockouts, 1 submission)
- Lewis has the most KO’s in UFC history at 13. Five 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 $1.5 million.