Lewis Calls Out Miocic

UFC heavyweight power puncher Derrick Lewis, currently ranked No. 3 at 265 pounds, is looking to blast his way back into the win column against former division champion and No. 2-ranked contender Stipe Miocic at some point later this year.

Probably because “The Black Beast” is feeling like his old self again — minus the smell of booty and Hennessy — after smashing and trashing Chris Daukaus in the first round of their UFC Vegas 45 main event last month in “Sin City.”

“I wanted to go into a fight and not put pressure on myself and it felt great,” Lewis told The MMA Hour. “I plan on doing that the rest of my career now. Just go out there and have fun and feel like I don’t have to prove anything. So that’s one of the reasons why I wanna fight Stipe next. I feel like that would be a great matchup for the fans — and for both of us. He’s more of a wrestler, I’m more of a wrestler as well, too, and so it would be a great, entertaining fight. I fought just about everyone in the Division Top 10 so it’s like a new face, new blood. I believe I’ll be a heavy underdog in this fight and it helps my fans get their money back from the Gane fight.”

Lewis (26-8) was summarily destroyed by Ciryl Gane in their UFC 265 interim title fight last August, snapping a four-fight win streak for the brick-fisted Texan. Despite that setback, Lewis became the promotion’s all-time knockout leader after planishing Daukaus in Las Vegas.

As for Miocic (20-4), he’s been riding the pine since coughing up his crown to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 last March. The part-time toilet cleaner turned 39 last August and may be running out of chances to stay afloat in the heavyweight title picture.

Especially with this new variable thrown into the equation.