Why Derrick Lewis vs. Alistair Overeem Matchmaking Can Make Sense
Derrick Lewis just had yet another fantastic finish at UFC Vegas 19. He knocked out Curtis Blaydes cold as the wrestler shot in for a takedown with a perfectly timed uppercut. Now, Lewis is calling for a legacy fight with former K-1 champion Alistair Overeem. The fight on the surface seems odd. Lewis is likely ranked second behind only Miocic and N’Gannou. Whereas Overeem is coming off of a loss. But if you put a little thought into it, the fight actually makes more sense than a rematch with Volkov.
Derrick Lewis wants it
The biggest reason to book Lewis vs. Reem is because Derrick Lewis wants it. Now with four straight wins, Lewis should be fighting for the title next. But with Miocic and N’Gannou fighting at UFC 260 and Jon Jones most likely getting the winner, Lewis will need another fight. While there’s an argument that he and the winner of Rozenstruik and Gane, Reem would make more fun fight name-wise.
Derrick Lewis is one of the fan favorite fighters. He’s earned the right to call his shots on what he wants. If the Black Beast wants to fight Alistair Overeem, he should be able to fight Alistair Overeem.
It fits in Reem’s One Last Run
Alistair Overeem has said he’s on his last run as a professional fighter and aims to retire with the title. Unfortunately, he lost to Alexander Volkov at UFC Vegas 18. Overeem came over to the UFC in 2011. The UFC could give him this last last opportunity to win a belt. I e said before that even if Overeem did beat Volkov he’d need to fight again with Jones entering the mix.
The fight with Lewis is prime for Overeem because of Lewis’ newfound ranking. Blaydes was ranked 2 in the heavyweight division. We talked about how a fight with Overeem would benefit Lewis by give him one more fight while the top of the division sorts itself out. For Overeem it would catapult him over Volkov and all other contenders putting him in that 2 or 3 ranking. A win over Lewis would work out ranking-wise and would fit in the timeline.
The fight makes sense once you think about it for a little while. It is a decently matched bout and addresses a couple things. Overeem’s chin making it through the fight, Lewis’ not-kickboxing style and more. Thanks for reading.
