Chris Daukaus reacts to upcoming Derrick Lewis fight: “I think he’s got more power than Francis Ngannou”

UFC heavyweight Chris Daukaus reacted to his upcoming Derrick Lewis fight, saying that “I think he’s got more power than Francis Ngannou.”

The Daukaus vs. Lewis fight was announced this past week by the UFC. The two heavyweights will go at it for five rounds or less in the main event of the UFC Fight Night card set for December 18. For Daukaus, it’s a well-deserved opportunity to fight a top-five ranked opponent after knocking out all four of his UFC foes so far. As for Lewis, following a one-sided loss to Ciryl Gane in his last fight, he needs to defend his No. 3 ranking now.

Speaking to MMA analyst Jimmy Smith on “Unlocking the Cage,” Daukaus gave his thoughts on Lewis as an opponent.

📽️ "I think he's got more power than Francis."@ChrisDaukausMMA discusses his December matchup with 'extremely dangerous opponent' Derrick Lewis w/@jimmysmithmma on Unlocking the Cage🛑

Hear the FULL interview & more on the UTC podcast⬇️https://t.co/3OiKIRpACr pic.twitter.com/SIIMa9EYlW

— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) September 30, 2021

“He’s certainly a character. Him as an opponent, as a martial artist, and a fighter, I think he’s a very well-rounded guy. Everyone makes the memes about how BJJ doesn’t work on Derrick Lewis, he just stands up and hits. But he knows what he’s doing in there. He knows how to fight, he knows how to finish people. He’s an extremely dangerous guy,” Daukaus said. “No matter it’s five seconds in or if there are five seconds left in the fight. Whether that be a 15-minute fight or whether that be a 25-minute fight, he’s just that dangerous. His power, I think he’s got more power than Francis (Ngannou), that’s just my personal opinion. Just because of the way those two fought and the way he’s able to shut people out and shut them off no matter what time of the fight. You saw when Francis fought Stipe (Miocic), you saw there were certain points in the round when Francis was catching Stipe, he didn’t have that same pop he had at the beginning. I think Derrick Lewis just has that, no matter what time in the round it is, no matter what time in the cage it is, he can shut your lights off. So he’s an extremely dangerous opponent.”

Who do you think wins this Chris Daukaus vs. Derrick Lewis heavyweight fight?