Saturday night at UFC 209 in Las Vegas, Nevada, former heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem was able to bounce back from his loss to reigning champion Stipe Miocic and pick up a statement win against perennial contender Mark Hunt, despite having been hospitalized with food poisoning less than twenty-four hours before the fight.
In his post fight interview with Joe Rogan, Overeem entertained the idea of facing Francis Ngannou in his next trip to the octagon -- an idea that UFC president Dana White quickly put down at the post-event press conference.
But if White isn't willing to let the Ngannou fight happen, what is he going to do with Overeem? Well, I have an idea.
Enter 'The Black Beast'
"The Black Beast" Derrick Lewis has been terrorizing the lower ranks of the UFC's heavyweight division over the past two years, racking up six wins in a row with five of them coming by knockout. In his last fight against Travis Browne, Lewis was hurt early in the first round, but he managed to overcome major adversity and finish his opponent in the second by devastating knockout. The tenacity he showed in the fight proved he is ready to take on upper echelon opponents, and the perfect match up for him is Alistair Overeem.
Styles make fights
What makes this the perfect next fight for both of these men is their differing fighting styles.
Lewis is a brawler who relies on his knockout power and granite chin to pummel his opponents. Overeem is a former kickboxing champion with tons of experience and lethal striking abilities. When locked in the cage, their two clashing styles would quickly turn the fight into a slugfest. Both men love to go at it and leave everything in the octagon, making this fight an exciting proposition with fight of the year potential.
It just makes sense
Overeem isn't far removed from a title shot. Although he lost to Miocic at UFC 203, he put on a strong showing and dropped the champion in the first round. All he needs is another win or two against top competitors before he earns another shot at the gold. Lewis, on the other hand, is still looking for his first shot at the the title.
Unfortunately for him, his skills just aren't polished enough to beat some of the top ground fighters in the division, leaving a fight with Overeem to be the best thing for him at the moment. Overeem is one of the best heavyweights of all-time, but his ground game isn't his strong suit, giving Lewis a punchers chance.
This is a fight that Lewis wants. This is a fight the fans want. This is the fight the UFC needs to deliver.
