Derrick Lewis (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Derrick Lewis wasn’t planning to fight this summer, but after the UFC agreed to his demands for a new contract and a raise, the surging heavyweight agreed to fight on June 10th.

After Lewis stopped Travis Browne in February, the 32 year-old said he was planning to take some time off. So, when the UFC approached him about taking on Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 110, Lewis asked for a new deal. Here is some of what the heavy-handed fighter recently had to say about his decision to fight Hunt, while appearing on “The MMA Hour” (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I had threw a crazy number at them, and told them this is what I’d like, it’s the only way I’d fight, is for this certain amount of money,” Lewis said. “I didn’t even think they’d say okay, yeah, we’ll agree to that amount. I didn’t even think they would, and I was like, damn, I should have asked for more money then.

“And so they gave me the right type of contract that I wanted, and that’s the reason I’m fighting right now.”

Lewis has won six straight fights heading into the June 10th bout, and could lock up a title shot, if he gets by the always dangerous, Hunt.

UFC FN 110 will take place in Auckland, New Zealand.