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Derrick Lewis suffered an upset loss to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 in his hometown of Houston, Texas. The loss puts Lewis in an interesting position as while he has now lost two of his last three but is still ranked at No.5 in the division.
This makes his next opponent difficult to predict, particularly given that his last fight was against a man ranked outside the top ten. However, the bout prior for Lewis saw him defeat a top ten fighter in Chris Daukaus, meaning any of the ten fighters ranked below 'The Black Beast' could present a viable option.
Lewis is an entertaining character away from the cage but is also an incredibly dangerous fighter inside of it. He owns the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 13. Lewis is always a constant threat regardless of who he is matched up against.
As we now look forward to his next UFC bout, here are five potential opponents for Derrick Lewis after his latest setback:
#5. Derrick Lewis vs. Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall will face the toughest test of his career on March 19 when he faces Alexander Volkov. While he is currently only ranked No.11, a win could shoot him up into the top five, right around the level where Derrick Lewis resides presently.
Lewis has already beaten Volkov, so a fight with Aspinall might make sense should the Englishman win. Aspinall might even be able to command a higher-ranked opponent at that point.
For this reason, this fight does not rank higher as Aspinall might be able to earn a shot against Ciryl Gane or Tai Tuivasa with a win. However, if this ends up being the fight we get, it would be amazing to see Aspinall's boxing ability against Lewis' power.
#4. Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich
Derrick Lewis may still be the No.5-ranked fighter in the division, but his most recent loss came against a man who had been ranked outside of the top ten. With this in mind, another young fighter who is lower in the rankings might make sense as an opponent for 'The Black Beast'.
Sergei Pavlovich certainly fits that bill. He is just 29 years old and has built a 14-1 record. His only loss came in his UFC debut against Alistair Overeem. He has since come back with consecutive first-round finishes and, in the process, earned himself a spot in the rankings.
The Russian is scheduled to take on the No.10 ranked Shamil Abdurakhimov on March 19. If he is successful in that one, a fight with Lewis will begin to make a lot of sense.
Whether this fight gets made likely depends on how high the UFC are on Pavlovich. If they feel he is ready to become a big player in the heavyweight division, pitting him against an established star in Derrick Lewis would be a great way to build up his name.
#3. Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura II
Marcin Tybura was on a very impressive winning streak before losing to Alexander Volkov in his last fight. He is now scheduled to take on Jairzinho Rozenstruik on February 26. Should he win that bout, a clash with Derrick Lewis might make sense as the next logical step.
Tybura's polish power has the potential to be a fun addition to the top of the heavyweight division. To get him there, he will need to beat some big names. While Rozenstruik would be a start, a win over Derrick Lewis would be enormous for his career.
Lewis beat Tybura in their 2018 meeting via KO. However, Tybura might also pose some challenges to Lewis now, making this an interesting bout. The pole has gone the distance eight times in his UFC career, twice as many as Lewis. This suggests Tybura would have a stamina advantage, which has been Lewis' Achilles heel over the years.
#2. Derrick Lewis vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Derrick Lewis and Jarzinho Rozenstruik are two of the most devastating knockout artists in the UFC. They must fight at some point, and should Rozenstruik get by Tybura next time out, that time may be upon us. Even in the event of a 'Bigi Boy' loss, this battle may still make sense.
Rozenstruik appeared to be set for great things in the UFC when he knocked out Alistair Overeem to take his record to 10-0. However, he has had trouble breaking into the true elite of the division, going 2-3 since. Lewis, on his part, has also failed short of becoming the king of the division a couple of times.
These fighters are incredibly similar and appear to be at a comparable point in each of their careers. Rozenstruik is likely the more technical of the pair, given his kickboxing background, and seeing his massive strikes go up against the knockout king would be a truly must-see bout.
#1. Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov II
The first fight between Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov was one of the more unique bouts in UFC history. Volkov appeared to be dominating and visibly hurt Lewis on multiple occasions. However, Volkov was stunned by a vicious KO from 'The Black Beast' in the closing moments.
Volkov has looked impressive since this bout, going 4-2. In fact, he may very well have been ranked higher in recent years were it not for the loss to Lewis. It, therefore, feels important for the Russian's career to avenge this loss if he is going to move on and fight the true elite of the division.
Lewis may also be interested, given that he has been able to knock Volkov out in the past. Furthermore, given Lewis's ranking remains so high, a rematch between the pair will be a viable option regardless of what happens in the Russian's upcoming bout with Tom Aspinall.
