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Derrick Lewis' homecoming at UFC 265 couldn't have gone any worse as Ciryl Gane put on an absolute masterclass in Houston to clinch a third-round TKO victory and the interim UFC heavyweight title.
Lewis, who was looking at a shot at the undisputed title held by Francis Ngannou before agreeing to fight Gane, was thoroughly out of his depth at UFC 265. He landed only eight strikes over the course of the fight as the Frenchman kept him at a distance and chopped down his lead leg with punishing kicks.
Despite the one-sided nature of the loss, Derrick Lewis is among the most dangerous fighters in the UFC heavyweight division. He has wins over Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes and Marcin Tybura, and holds several interesting knockout records in the weight class.
Fights won't be difficult to come by for Lewis, who is nearing the end of his career at 36 years of age but is still among the most-loved fighters in the UFC. Here are three potential future opponents for Derrick Lewis after UFC 265.
#3 Derrick Lewis vs the winner of Shamil Abdurakhimov/Chris Daukaus
COVID-19 protocols forced the fight between Shamil Abdurakhimov and Chris Daukaus to be pulled from the UFC Vegas 32 card and inserted into the UFC 266 pay-per-view instead. The winner of the fight would be close to a spot in the top five of the UFC heavyweight division, and while it might be a slight step down in competition, Derrick Lewis could face the winner.
Lewis already has a win over Abdurakhimov, who used his grappling well in December 2016 before being caught by the freak power of 'The Black Beast'. The Russian hasn't fought since September 2019, though, and might be signing his death warrant if he faces off against Lewis with only a win over Daukaus under his belt.
Meanwhile, Daukaus has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in the division with a first-round finish in each of his three UFC fights. Should the UFC decide that Lewis' performance at UFC 265 means his days of contending for a title are over, they could pit him against the 31-year-old in a classic prospect vs veteran matchup.
#2 Derrick Lewis vs the winner of Alexander Volkov/Marcin Tybura
Eighth-ranked Marcin Tybura is slowly moving up the UFC heavyweight rankings. 'Tybur' is on a five-fight win streak at the moment and faces a big test in the form of Alexander Volkov at UFC 267 in October.
Derrick Lewis has fought and beaten both Tybura and Volkov, so one of the two might prove to be the perfect rebound opponent for 'The Black Beast'. In February 2018, Lewis knocked Tybura out in the third round after being comprehensively outstruck. He dished out the same fate to Volkov in October 2018, this time with only ten seconds left on the clock.
The winner of Tybura and Volkov would definitely warrant a top-five opponent. And with others like Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic and Curtis Blaydes busy elsewhere, Derrick Lewis might be the man for the job.
#1 Derrick Lewis vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik/Curtis Blaydes
One of the more interesting upcoming matchups in the UFC heavyweight division sees Jairzinho Rozenstruik take on Curtis Blaydes at UFC 266 in September. The pay-per-view will see 'Razor' try to rebound from his devastating knockout loss to Derrick Lewis in February, while Rozenstruik will look to keep his winning momentum going after knocking out Augusto Sakai in June.
Again, like Volkov vs Tybura, the winner of this clash demands a top-five opponent. While Lewis vs Rozenstruik promises entertainment but not volume, Blaydes will be keen on a rematch against the Texan after claiming that he wins the fight "nine times out of ten."
Derrick Lewis' future opponent is definitely uncertain at the moment. When he was expected to face Ngannou for the undisputed title, he claimed that he'd retire with a win, which would've brought him a big paycheck. The hopes of that fight happening have taken a severe hit, and the 36-year-old has an important decision to make regarding his future.
Moreover, almost every top UFC heavyweight currently has a fight booked. With Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic unlikely to accept anything other a fight against the very best in the division, ideally for the title, the others in the top five are left in limbo.
Doubts aside, fans will undoubtedly tune in to watch Derrick Lewis the next time he steps into the octagon. Who will it be against? Have your say in the comments.
