Ilir Latifi is all set to make his UFC return against Tanner Boser on UFC Fight Night 189. ‘The Sledgehammer’ is coming into the fight on the back of three consecutive losses. Latifi last competed in the UFC against Derrick Lewis at UFC 247 and lost that fight via a unanimous decision.

The fight against Lewis was Latifi’s return to the Heavyweight division. However, it didn’t go as planned, as Lewis showed his class and was victorious.

People ‘underestimate’ Derrick Lewis says Latifi

In a recent interview, Latifi was talking about ‘The Black Beast’ and how he thinks people underestimate the fighter.

“I think a lot of people in a way underestimate Derrick Lewis’s skill. They think that he has just this one KO punch, but he’s a very smart fighter, he can ride out the storm like we’ve seen him do a lot of his fights. And he’s a funny guy too, you know, so that’s why he is popular and loved, you know,” Latifi said.

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Latifi clearly believes Lewis is a great fighter and that because of his striking prowess, we often ignore other aspects of his fighting. Therefore, while Latifi does believe Lewis hits really hard, he believes he has many other skills as well.

“He hits hard, Derrick hits hard but you know the thing was with him he really me, that he’s pretty athletic, being that big. And you know doing this kicks and jumping and stuff, he’s athletic. To be that good, he knows how to move, he’s a natural fighter you know.”

What next for Ilir Latifi?

Latifi’s fight against Boser will be one of the most important fights of his career as 3 back-to-back losses have left many believing that Latifi’s time is up. Many believe that Latifi should consider retirement and a victory over Boser would be a great way to prove everyone wrong.

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While Latifi has suffered three defeats in a row, Lewis is on a four-fight winning streak. Lewis will most probably face Francis Ngannou in his next fight and although an official announcement hasn’t been made yet. Fans from all around the world are eagerly waiting to see Lewis and Ngannou fight.