https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvse6rM1DD4 Derrick Lewis is a scary, scary guy. Over at the MMA Corner, I suggested that scary doesn't win fights, and I stand by that. That doesn't mean, however, that you don't promote the guy. There's a real lack of heavyweight names outside the top 10-15 right now. Most of the up-and-comers will find themselves churned out of the organization after a couple of losses, and the rest will just sort of hang around the peripheral. There have only been three new names in the past year that have really caused fans to take notice: Soa Palelei, Jake Rosholt, and Derrick Lewis. Of the three - Palelei isn't really "new" - he's a returning vet who has looked good, but suffered a bad loss to Jake Rosholt. Rosholt is undefeated in the UFC in three fights, but his style involves a blanketing form of wrestling where the action is minimal, so he's going to have to overcome the yoke of "boring fighter" to really advance, and the UFC is unlikely to push him. Lewis? Lewis is a monster who is scary in the octagon, he has a win over Rosholt outside the UFC, and he's even scary at interviews - his post-fight press conference involvement at the TUF 19 finale caught one reporter off-guard at least, and even Dana White acknowledged what a scary guy he is. He's got a fight coming up with Matt Mitrione, and if he wins that, it's time to push the monster who says he's gunning for Cain Velasquez. Even if it's unlikely he even makes it to Cain, it's worth putting him out there.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.