UFC 226: Francis Ngannou v Derrick Lewis

UFC 226: Francis Ngannou v Derrick Lewis

By Dan McConnell

The UFC’s biggest and baddest card takes place this Saturday 7th July for International Fight Week. International Fight Week is a landmark card for the UFC and provides a stacked fight night for fight fans worldwide.

A Heavyweight bout between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis will throw down on Saturday night on the main-card to determine who will take one step closer to a title shot for Stipe Miocic’s heavyweight Championship crown.

Francis Ngannou (11-2) is a man the UFC heavily pushed in his last fight and opened up the African market for fight fans especially in Cameroon where he is from. Ngannou is coming off a loss in his first ever title shot to UFC heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic at  UFC 220. With wins over Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, ‘The Predator’ Ngannou will look to get back in the winning column with a win this weekend and push for another eventual title shot down the road.

However, a man nicknamed ‘The Black Beast’ stands in his way. Derrick Lewis (19-5) will stand face to face with Ngannou in what is expected to be a knockout performance victory for whoever lands cleanly and first. Lewis finished Marcin Tybura in his last fight in-front of his home fans in Texas at UFC Austin and will hope that the crowd are again on his side for this fight against a man known for being the hardest hitter in the UFC’s history.

Lewis is ranked at number 5 in the UFC heavyweight rankings and has a lot to gain over the former UFC heavyweight title contender Ngannou, who is still ranked as the number one contender despite his loss to the champion.

Can Ngannou bounce back from his title shot loss or can Lewis finally prove his worth and stake his claim for a title shot?

Heavyweight bouts don’t usually last out of the first round and this fight should follow suit. Don’t blink or you might miss it!