Could Derrick Lewis be Francis Ngannou's PFL debut? Free agency after sublime UFC 291 TKO sparks Twitter debate
Derrick Lewis returned to his winning ways in style at UFC 291 against Marcos Rogerio de Lima. 'The Black Beast' added yet another highlight to his reel by rushing out with a Jorge Masvidal-esque flying knee that landed flush, sending 'Pezao' to the canvas.
De Lima, to his credit, covered up on the ground and took a lot of shots from one of the scariest knockout artists on the planet before the referee was forced to step in. Lewis opened up on his contract situation in his post-fight octagon interview, leading to talks of a potential clash against Francis Ngannou.
'The Black Beast' revealed that he is currently a free agent, although hoping to be retained by the UFC. The 38-year-old said:
"We'll see. I'm a free agent now. So, hopefully I can get a contract with the UFC, if not, [expletive], it is what it is."
Catch Lewis' comments below:
Derrick Lewis' free agency immediately led fans and pundits to start talks of a potential PFL signing that would make him the perfect draw for Francis Ngannou's promotional debut. Alex Behunin of MMA Mania wrote on Twitter:
"Well, if the UFC passes on re-signing Derrick Lewis, Francis Ngannou just got his PFL debut opponent"
Sean Sheehan of Sherdog wrote:
"It's a pity Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou was the most boring fight in UFC history because, as a new free agent, he could be a #1 contender for that massive payday."
Now with 14 knockouts in UFC alone, he is a free agent. 
Derrick Lewis vs Francis Ngannou?
Derrick was originally on the prelims for 291, before the Thompson bout was cancelled! đź‘€ Now with 14 knockouts in UFC alone, he is a free agent.
I smell a good fight.
Didn’t Francis say min. “2M” for a fight? Well, that’s a nice bonus for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/zzA7qsyefR
Lewis' UFC 291 victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima marks the end of a three-fight skid and 'The Black Beast's' first win since December 2021. Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou is slated to meet Tyson Fury in a boxing match on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The two previously clashed at UFC 226 in 2018 which ended up being one of the worst snoozefests in UFC history.