Derrick Lewis has an argument for why he should fight UFC Champ Tom Aspinall.
The most prolific knockout artist in UFC history notched KO #16 in the main event of UFC Nashville on Saturday night when he faced off against his most hated opponent to date: Tallison Teixeira.
Derrick Lewis quickly wiped the smile Teixeira had at the weigh-ins, TKO’ing the Brazilian 35 seconds into the opening round, handing Teixeira his first pro loss.
Ranked #9 in the heavyweight division and winner of three out of his last four fights, the perennial contender has been tipped for a third title opportunity against the new undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.
Alan Jouban says Derrick Lewis carries ‘more name value’ than Ciryl Gane
Lewis might not have the best case for a title shot as he is 0-2 in title fights and has lopsided losses to two top contenders ahead of him in the #1-ranked Ciryl Gane and the #5-ranked Jailton Almeida.
However, Lewis does have a name behind him, as the UFC’s knockout king.
UFC veteran and analyst Alan Jouban would go as far as saying Lewis is a bigger name than Gane, who’s a superstar in France.
“Lewis probably has a bigger name value than a Ciryl Gane, who’s probably the guy that we’re thinking that would fight Tom Aspinall next,” Jouban said on the UFC post-show.
“But Ciryl Gane, the name value is not quite there…
“You know, he didn’t really show up against Jon Jones. Derrick Lewis delivers first round knockouts.
He’s a big name. He’s got a big following.
“After a performance like this, strike while the iron’s hot,” Jouban said of a potential Aspinall vs. Lewis fight.
Chris Weidman says Tom Aspinall vs. Derrick Lewis could promote Jon Jones fight
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman agreed with Jouban and the rest of the broadcast desk that Aspinall should fight Lewis next.
Weidman hasn’t lost all hope in a possible Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones fight, detailing how it could go down at the White House UFC event this time next year. Jones expressed interest in President Donald Trump’s idea to host the card, with UFC’s Dana White calling Jones vs. Aspinall his ‘dream main event’.
Weidman explains why a fight between Aspinall and Lewis makes sense in the meantime.
“That’s gonna be another year, basically, to wait. Why not give Aspinall Derrick Lewis right now?” Weidman said.
“A fight that people would love to see because Derrick Lewis has the potential to knock out everybody.
“Tom Aspinall’s so good on the feet, he’s good everywhere. It’s a tough fight, but people would love to see it.
“And then you could start marketing for the next fight in July with Jon Jones,” Weidman added.