Is Derrick Lewis Under Contract With UFC? Has Chael Sonnen Pleaded With Dana White to Re-Sign UFC KO Record Holder After UFC 291?

Amidst the reverberations of his emphatic 33-second knockout victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima, a cloud of uncertainty looms over Derrick Lewis’s UFC future. When MMA fans found out his contract with Dana White has run out and that he was now a free agent, the shockwaves grew even stronger. Now, the future he faces is still clouded by mystery and confusion. With this unexpected turn, Lewis’s future becomes the subject of much discussion.

Following his historic win at UFC 291, Lewis discussed what his future plans were at that point in time. ‘The Black Beast’ discussed his future plans with sports journalist Dave Schmulenson, discussing his excitement about the next step he was planning to take.

Derrick Lewis wakes up unemployed after revealing his UFC contract is over

Following his bout, Lewis indulged in a YouTube interview with Dave Schmulenson. The prime focus of the conversation was to explore the revelations Lewis was planning to make about his prospects. After his contract with the UFC expired, he shared what he was looking forward to. Initiating the conversation, Schmulenson asked, “So where do we go from here, ‘Black Beast?’ You really told the world that you are waiting for a new contract, you want to come back to the UFC. Where do we go?”  Well, this doubt was followed by a response as Lewis spilled beans considering the situation.

‘The Black Beast’ replied, “Yeah, we will see how everything goes. I am going to go home to celebrate with my family, then we will make a decision then so we will see.”

Lewis will schedule his return for a later period because he needs to spend time with his family at home. The UFC 291 victory was truly a much-needed factor for him as prior to that, he was on a three-fight skid. Lewis’ emphatic triumph might have put him in the spotlight. However, Derrick Lewis’ humorous yet contentious action that followed the triumph was another headline of the event. But, the main doubt surely was about his next step.

Is Dana White offering a UFC contract to Derrick Lewis? 

Lewis, a sure-shot talent on the roster, fought his final contractual fight at UFC 291, finishing Marcos Rogerio de Lima in just 33 seconds. However, the victory was followed by news of his contract completion. Now his future is in limbo and he is surrounded by plenty of doubts regarding the next step. In fact, Lewis wanted a title shot and even stated that he has a title run left in him. However, UFC head honcho Dana White’s statement considering the current scenario is indeed crucial.

His future plan went on to become a matter of discussion for the journalists from ‘MMA Junkie.’ In that discussion, their main aim was to discuss which road Lewis was going to take from here, considering his contract with the UFC had expired. With the current scenario, Derrick Lewis surely has a lot of financial opportunities to capitalize on. However, ambiguity is raised since he could even join the UFC’s rival promotion, PFL, considering a rematch against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

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Well, the fans would undoubtedly be interested in Lewis’ next move. It will also be extremely intriguing to learn what the UFC president’s potential future plans are. But did you know? Another UFC legend was also desperate to see Lewis back in the UFC. So much so that he requested Dana White to re-sign the heavyweight.

Chael Sonnen wants Dana White to re-sign Derrick Lewis

While Lewis showed his willingness to stay with Dana White’s promotion, the UFC legend, Chael Sonnen, also expressed his desire to see Lewis back in the UFC. Laying it straight, Sonnen requested White to get Lewis back in the UFC. Being part of the ESPN post-show, Sonnen had quite an elongated statement for the UFC president.

He said, “Think about where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be on earlier in the night, the building’s still filling up. You probably don’t get the interview with Joe Rogan. I’m just sharing for you, it’s a little bit different (if he’d have fought on the prelims as originally scheduled). Look, Dana, I’ve asked you for things before, but not in a while. I feel like I’m owed one. Please re-sign this guy. I’m not done with Derrick. I want to see more Derrick Lewis. I’ll leave it at that.”

Sonnen surely seemed desperate with his request. He surely wanted Lewis back into the UFC scene as he pleaded with the UFC kingpin with his statements. The 38-year-old has surely been in solid shape in recent times. With, so much unsettledness surrounding his prospect, the fans eagerly await the verdict. What do you think? Where would Lewis go from here? Let us know in the comments.

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