UFC president Dana White believes a rematch against Derrick Lewis is “probably” next for UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou has been riding high ever since knocking out Stipe Miocic to finally win the title – three years on from his first shot at the strap. It was easily one of the most impressive championship-level performances we’ve seen in years in the UFC, and it’s put Ngannou on the map as one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

The big question now is a simple one: who will he defend the belt against first?

The answer, according to White, is that it’ll probably wind up being Derrick Lewis.

Dana on Ngannou's next opponent: It's probably gonna be, you know, the Black Beast.

— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) April 20, 2021

“It’s probably gonna be, you know, the Black Beast.”

If we look at this purely from a logical point of view, it does make sense that Lewis would get a shot at Ngannou. After all, the two men fought back in July 2018 and while it wasn’t a classic, “The Black Beast” was the one who had his hand raised at the end of the night.

Plus, Lewis is on a four-fight win streak which includes a vicious knockout victory over Curtis Blaydes back in February.

The only problem with this idea is that there are two men who would likely be ahead of Lewis in the pecking order: Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

The issue with Jones is that he can’t come to terms with the UFC on a financial agreement for the bout, whereas with Miocic, some wonder whether or not he should have to win another fight before being given a chance to win back the belt.

There are a lot of variables at play here but one thing is for sure – heavyweight is far more interesting now than it has been in a long time.

Will Francis Ngannou fight Derrick Lewis next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, BJPENN Nation!