Derrick Lewis Takes Shot at Alistair Overeem

Derrick Lewis has to get by Mark Hunt this Saturday, but if he does, the heavyweight’s not sure who’s next.

Lewis and Hunt will throw hands in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 110, which will go down in Auckland, New Zealand. If Lewis defeats the feared slugger, he will extend his winning streak to seven, and he’ll be right in the thick of the title shot mix. As the event nears, Lewis is ranked #6 in the heavyweight division, while Hunt is sitting in the #7 spot.

So, who does Lewis have in mind as his next opponent? Provided he defeats Hunt? Well, while speaking to UFC.com recently, the heavy-handed fighter had this to say:

“If I fight the top guys, whenever it’s time for me to renegotiate, it’ll be easier to upgrade to that number that I throw at them,” Lewis said. “That’s the only reason why I want to fight the top guys.”

“If I could fight the toughest guy after Mark Hunt, I’ll fight him, but I don’t even know who’s the toughest guy after him,” Lewis added. “Overeem, he’s on a win streak, but he don’t have a chin.”

It will be interesting to see if that comment catches the attention of Mr. Overeem, who is coming off a KO win over Hunt, and is booked to fight Fabricio Werdum, July 8th.

If Lewis wins at UFC FN 110, and does so convincingly, there’s a good chance he’ll jump over Overeem in the title shot queue. After all, Overeem was taken out by the heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic in September. So, even if he defeats Werdum, the UFC isn’t going to tap him for another title shot yet.

Now, if the UFC decides to have Francis Ngannou fight Miocic next, then the chances of Lewis and Overeem throwing down will rise significantly. If Cain Velasquez is ready to return in the coming months, then the former champ could also be next for Lewis.

First things first, however, and that’s safely navigating through the fearsome power of Hunt.

Who would you like to see Lewis fight next? If he scores a win over Hunt on June 10th?