Derrick Lewis recently stated that he was offered a fight against former Glory Heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven at UFC 324.
Lewis is, however, now slated to fight surging heavyweight contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324. ‘The Black Beast’ has secured stoppage victories in his previous two outings. On the other hand, his next opponent, Cortes-Acosta, has also secured knockouts in his last two fights. In ‘Salsa Boy’s’ previous bout, which was on short notice against Shamil Gaziev, the former knocked out Gaziev in just 82 seconds. In 2025, the 34-year-old competed five times and won four.