Derrick Lewis says fans nearly witnessed one of the most surprising heavyweight debuts in recent UFC history. Before being booked opposite surging contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324, Lewis revealed the promotion explored a blockbuster crossover matchup with legendary kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
Speaking on The Beast and the Cowboy podcast, Lewis explained he’s been pushing for a quick turnaround since the summer, believing another fast booking was imminent following his most recent win.
“Sh*t, I’ve been trying to get a fight damn near every month since July,” Lewis said. “The fight ended in 30 seconds. I thought they were going to give me something quick. Nah. They talking about, ‘We’ve got something big for you. Don’t worry, just sit and wait.’”
Lewis said the UFC teased a major January bout tied to Paramount+, before finally revealing the potential opponent.
“First, it was supposed to be some dude from GLORY Kickboxing, the champion,” Lewis said. “What’s the dude’s name? … Rico Verhoeven. It was supposed to be against him, then he turned the fight down.”
A Rare MMA Crossover That Never Was
Still just 36 years old, Verhoeven is widely regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. The Dutch star was the longest-reigning GLORY heavyweight champion, defending the title 13 times before vacating it in November after opting not to re-sign with GLORY Kickboxing.
Since stepping away, Verhoeven has been linked to potential boxing and MMA opportunities, but none have materialized leaving fans to wonder if an MMA debut is still in his future.
Pavlovich Declined, Cortes-Acosta Accepted
Lewis stressed he wasn’t fixated on any specific opponent he simply wanted back in the Octagon. After Verhoeven declined, his team attempted to line up a rematch with Sergei Pavlovich, who knocked Lewis out at UFC 277 in 2022.
“Then we were trying to get the Russian dude back, Sergei [Pavlovich],” Lewis said. “But he said no.”
That opened the door for Cortes-Acosta.
“Then the Dominican dude, he accepted the fight, so I said let’s get it.”
Lewis enters UFC 324 riding a two-fight winning streak, having knocked out Tallison Teixeira and Rodrigo Nascimento. Already the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts with 16, “The Black Beast” will look to extend that record to 17 on Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena.
While Verhoeven’s UFC debut remains a fascinating “what if,” Lewis now turns his attention to Cortes-Acosta—another chance to add a violent exclamation point to a Hall of Fame résumé built on chaos and knockouts.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
