Dana White announced during the UFC 327 broadcast that Derrick Lewis will fight Josh Haquit at the upcoming White House event. The matchup was organized following a request from Donald Trump, who was sitting ringside at the event. White made the announcement in real-time during the show, emphasizing the immediate nature of the booking. The fight represents a significant heavyweight bout that will take place at the historic White House venue. Details about the specific date were not provided in this announcement.
Dana White used the UFC 327 broadcast to announce a heavyweight matchup between Derrick Lewis and Josh Haquit, set to take place at an upcoming event held at the White House. White made the booking public in real time during the show, noting that the fight came together at the direct request of Donald Trump, who was seated ringside for the evening. No specific date was attached to the announcement.
Lewis, nicknamed "The Black Beast," enters the bout ranked eighth in the UFC heavyweight division with a professional record of 29-14-0. The 41-year-old American, who trains out of Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai, stands six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He lands 2.46 significant strikes per minute at a 49 percent striking accuracy rate, numbers that reflect a puncher who relies on precision and power over volume. Lewis carries virtually no submission threat, with zero submission attempts per 15 minutes on record, making his game plan straightforward: find the knockout.
Verified data for Josh Haquit was not available in the database at the time of this report, so a full statistical breakdown of his record and background cannot be provided.
Why it matters
- Lewis is ranked eighth at heavyweight, meaning a high-profile win could push him back toward contention in a wide-open division.
- The White House venue gives the bout an unusually high public profile outside the traditional UFC arena setting.
- Lewis is one of the most decorated knockout artists in heavyweight history, making any opponent a significant underdog on the feet.
