A Derrick Lewis Title Fight Might Soon be on the Horizon

One of the heavyweight division’s scariest fighters has been on a tear as of late, and a Derrick Lewis title fight may be just around the corner.

Casual fans of MMA were first exposed to Derrick Lewis in April of 2014. In his debut fight with the UFC, the hulking heavyweight quickly dispatched of talented kickboxer Jack May by TKO in the first round. Eight fights later, Lewis is closing in on the top 5 of the division, and with a win this Friday, he may very well make UK gambling news and earn himself a number one contender fight.

There may be no fighter at heavyweight as feared as Lewis. Of his nine UFC fights, eight have ended by either TKO or KO. His lone career win by decision came over Roy Nelson, a man notorious for his uncanny ability to absorb blows.

Lewis seemed to really turn a corner after his loss to Shawn Jordan. He is riding a four-fight win streak since that bout, including wins over the aforementioned Nelson, and Brazilian veteran Gabriel Gonzaga. In fact, Lewis is the only fighter in the heavyweight top-10 rankings with more than 2 straight wins. It’s about time he earned a shot at a real contender; but first he needs to get through a surging prospect.

Who is Lewis’ Opponent this Friday?

Despite the impressive win streak and strong following Derrick Lewis has on social media, he is being given a dangerous fight here against a relatively unknown fighter. Across the cage from him will stand Shamil Abdurakhimov, a talented Russian fighter with an impressive background in Sanshou.

Abdurakhimov currently sports a record of 17-3, and has stepped into the octagon three times thus far in his career. In his first bout he was beaten down by Timothy Johnson, but he has since responded with two straight wins over Anthony Hamilton and Walt Harris. Shamil will look to halt the talk of a Derrick Lewis title shot, and with a win here he will likely find himself somewhere in the top 10 of the division.

Unsurprisingly, it’s Lewis who is entering this fight as the considerable betting favorite, according to most online sportsbooks in the UK. His odds to win currently sit at 20/43. Shamil Abdurakhimov is taking a big step up in competition here, and is the MMA betting underdog with odds of 29/20.

Will Derrick Lewis’ title shot come in 2017? If he gets past Abdurakhimov, who should he face next? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below, and make sure to check out NetBet Sportsbook for a full list of UFC Albany betting odds!