Derrick Lewis returns in December against rising contender Chris Daukaus

Derrick Lewis will look to hand Chris Daukaus his first loss inside the Octagon.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who got told by UFC president, Dana White, Lewis will face Daukaus on December 18, which will be a Fight Night card. It’s uncertain if it will be the main event or will just be a three-round fight on the main card.

Derrick Lewis (25-8 and one No Contest) is coming off a TKO loss to Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. Prior to that, he was on a four-fight winning streak where he KO’d Curtis Blaydes and TKO’ Alexey Oleynik and also beat Ilir Latifi and Blagoy Ivanov by decision. He’s currently the third-ranked heavyweight and holds notable wins over Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, and Marcin Tybura.

Chris Daukaus (12-3) is 4-0 inside the Octagon and coming off a TKO win over Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 266 on Saturday. Prior to that, he TKO’d Alexey Oleynik and knocked out Rodrigo Nascimento and a TKO win over Parker Porter. He’s currently ranked 10th at heavyweight but will likely move up into the top-eight once the rankings update. After his win, he called for a fight against a top-three opponent and he gets his wish against Lewis.

“I expect him to take care of another couple guys, I’ll take care of two or three guys, and then whenever the whole mess up at the top (of the heavyweight division) figures itself out, I’ll fight Tom (Aspinall) for the No. 1 contender spot,” Daukaus said after his fight at UFC 266, where many mentioned Lewis as a possible opponent.

This is a big fight for the heavyweight division where if Daukaus wins, he would be a win or two away from a title shot. Lewis, meanwhile, will look to return to the win column, and “The Black Beast” is also in the title conversation.

Who do you think will win, Derrick Lewis or Chris Daukaus?