Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Matt Mitrione is no stranger to big, powerful punchers who generate some buzz among the mixed martial arts (MMA) fan base. Look no further than his stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10, where he shared screen time with Internet sensation Kimbo Slice.
Been there, done that.
And according to "Meathead," his UFC Fight Night 50 opponent, Derrick Lewis, has some of that same mystique ahead of their 265-pound bangfest on FOX Sports 1 this Friday night (Sept. 5, 2014) inside the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Ledyard, Connecticut.
From his conversation with MMA Junkie:
"I think that Derrick Lewis has a little bit of a mystique about him, almost like Kimbo did. He's a little better. He hasn't lost in a while. But I've been in this situation before, so I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at. He thinks he's good enough to fight me, so he called me out. I plan on putting hands on him and see what he can turn into. If you're going to say my name out loud and that you want to fight me, you're going to get the best of me possible. I'm looking forward to putting that on display."
Mitrione defeated Slice by way of technical knockout back in 2010.
But whether or not he can replicate that winning performance tomorrow night in "The Constitution State" remains to be seen. "Meathead" (7-3) hasn't won consecutive fights in over three years, while "Black Beast" is unbeaten across his last eight.
We'll find out in just over 24 hours.