Matt Mitrione meets red-hot heavyweight Derrick Lewis in Connecticut
Matt Mitrione asked for a fight quickly after his was canceled at the 11th hour. Now, he has one.
Mitrione will meet heavyweight prospect Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night in Connecticut on Sept. 5, FOX Sports has learned. The card, which takes place at Foxwoods, will air live on FOX Sports 1.
Mitrione (7-3) was supposed to fight Stefan Struve at UFC 175 on Saturday in Las Vegas, but Struve had a fainting spell in the locker room and the Nevada Athletic Commission called the bout off. Struve was trying to come back from a significant heart ailment. UFC president Dana White said that night that Mitrione was asking for a fight quickly afterward. Mitrione, 35, has won two of three in the UFC.
Now, he'll get Lewis (11-2), who has stormed onto the scene with some impressive finishes. The Texas native knocked out Guto Inocente on Sunday night at the TUF 19 Finale with some vicious ground and pound. Jack May suffered a similar fate back in April. The massive Lewis, 29, has won five straight.
Inocente is Mitrione's teammate. Lewis was asked about Mitrione afterward and said he would want to fight him.
UFC Fight Night in Connecticut is headlined by a middleweight contender bout between Ronaldo Souza and Gegard Mousasi. Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Rothwell was also added to the card Wednesday.
