5 potential opponents for Derrick Lewis after UFC 271 setback

Lewis is ranked the No.5 UFC heavyweight with a record of 26-9 (1 NC)

Derrick Lewis suffered an upset loss to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 in his hometown of Houston, Texas. The loss puts Lewis in an interesting position as while he has now lost two of his last three but is still ranked at No.5 in the division.

The Black Beast with the W Quote of the day 💯 (via @Thebeast_ufc) https://t.co/TsUaZdVC1s

This makes his next opponent difficult to predict, particularly given that his last fight was against a man ranked outside the top ten. However, the bout prior for Lewis saw him defeat a top ten fighter in Chris Daukaus, meaning any of the ten fighters ranked below 'The Black Beast' could present a viable option.

Lewis is an entertaining character away from the cage but is also an incredibly dangerous fighter inside of it. He owns the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 13. Lewis is always a constant threat regardless of who he is matched up against.

As we now look forward to his next UFC bout, here are five potential opponents for Derrick Lewis after his latest setback:

#5. Derrick Lewis vs. Tom Aspinall

Aspinall is ranked No.11 with a record of 11-2

Tom Aspinall will face the toughest test of his career on March 19 when he faces volkov" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Alexander Volkov. While he is currently only ranked No.11, a win could shoot him up into the top five, right around the level where Derrick Lewis resides presently.

What a heavyweight scrap! Tui Tuivasa puts Derrick Lewis out cold with a devastating elbow.

If Tom Aspinall can beat Alexander Volkov next month at UFC London, the top five of the heavyweight division will be well and truly shaken up. Exciting. #UFC271

Lewis has already beaten Volkov, so a fight with Aspinall might make sense should the Englishman win. Aspinall might even be able to command a higher-ranked opponent at that point.

For this reason, this fight does not rank higher as Aspinall might be able to earn a shot against Ciryl Gane or Tai Tuivasa with a win. However, if this ends up being the fight we get, it would be amazing to see Aspinall's boxing ability against Lewis' power.