Chael Sonnen urges Dana White to re-sign Derrick Lewis to the UFC after stunning TKO win

Chael Sonnen doesn’t want to see Derrick Lewis leave the UFC. Claiming that he wanted to see more of ‘The Black Beast,’ Sonnen recently urged Dana White to re-sign the perennial heavyweight contender. 

Lewis recently fought the last fight of his current contract and dispatched Rogerio De Lima via first-round KO. The hard-hitting heavyweight contender barraged his opponent with punches and forced the referee to intervene just 33 seconds after the opening bell. Lewis reclaimed his top spot for most knockouts in UFC history with the win. 

After the fight, Derrick Lewis iterated that he’d love to re-sign with the promotion and fight for the title. Given his status as a fan-favorite fighter and his entertaining fighting style, many called for Dana White to bring him back. 

Speaking at the post-fight ESPN MMA show, Chael Sonnen urged the UFC supremo to strongly consider keeping Derrick Lewis on the roster. He said:

“Look, Dana, I’ve asked you for things before, but not in a while. I feel like I’m owed one. Please re-sign this guy. I’m not done with Derrick. I want to see more of Derrick Lewis. I’ll leave it at that.”

Watch the full video below:

Dana White shares update on Conor McGregor’s return 

Earlier this month, Dana White shared an update on Conor McGregor’s highly-anticipated return to action. The UFC frontman revealed that while the Irishman hasn’t entered the USADA testing pool yet, he’s confident about McGregor fighting before the year ends.

After suffering a nasty leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, McGregor went through a long process of recovery and physical therapy. The Irishman made his UFC return by taking on a coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite Michael Chandler earlier this year. The two men were highly touted to face off in the octagon after their season concluded. 

However, McGregor’s absence from the USADA testing pool has proven to be a significant hurdle to his return. While he’s hinted at submitting his samples several times in the past, he is still not registered by the drug-testing agency. 

In an interview with Aaron Bronsteter for TSN, Dana White shared an update on Conor McGregor’s future plans and said:

“He’s not [back in the USADA testing pool]. 100 percent [there’s a chance Conor McGregor fights this year]. We’ll see how that plays out. They’re saying that now, but who knows… Who cares what USADA says, we’ll see what happens when it happens so I don’t know.”