LAS VEGAS – Derrick Lewis hopes he can lock horns with Alistair Overeem during the legend’s final run.
Lewis (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who faces Overeem’s teammate Curtis Blaydes in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 185 headliner, has some history with “The Reem” and hopes they can settle the score.
During his media day obligations for UFC Fight Night 174 in August, Lewis claimed Overeem (47-19 MMA, 13-8 UFC) turned him down three times and Overeem fired back, calling Lewis an “easy payday.”
The pair have gone back and forth since then, and it seems Lewis hasn’t forgotten those words.
“Overeem has been talking a lot of smack,” Lewis said at a pre-fight news conference held Thursday. “I don’t talk trash to fighters, calling them out this and that. Whenever I hear someone talking trash to me then I say something back. Other than that, I’m not worrying about what’s going on with UFC fighters. I’m not keeping up with these guys.”
He continued, “If Overeem is watching this, man, you still got it. Look in my eyes: You still got it. So do not hang them up yet because I really do want a piece of that. I want to clap them cheeks.”
Overeem saw his title aspirations take a momentary halt when he was stopped by Alexander Volkov two weeks ago in the UFC Fight Night 184 main event. Just two spots apart from “The Black Beast” in the UFC’s official heavyweight rankings, Overeem could be on a collision course with Lewis, but that could heavily depend on Saturday’s outcome.
Derrick Lewis wants crack at Alistair Overeem before he retires: ‘I want to clap them cheeks’
