Daily Debate: Is it time for Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis to meet in the octagon?

Francis Ngannou (11-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Derrick Lewis (19-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) have been on a collision course for several years, and it appears the two heavyweight sluggers are both ready to face off in the octagon.

So with social media barbs flying, is now the time to book “The Predator” vs. “The Black Beast” for an upcoming event?

Ngannou is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, while Lewis sits at No. 12.

UFC matchmakers often like to book fighters who are building off of similar results, which wouldn’t apply in this case. In his most recent appearance, Lewis scores a knockout win over Marcin Tybura, while Ngannou is coming off of a loss, albeit in a failed bid for the UFC heavyweight title.

Still, the propensity of both to swing for the fences with every punch thrown would seem to make this matchup a fan’s dream. It’s a contest that’s been actively discussed since the two both picked up wins on the same night at UFC Fight Night 86 in April 2016, so is now the time to issue the bout agreements?

We asked MMAjunkie readers and MMAjunkie Radio listeners to play matchmaker, and the results were incredibly one-sided. The final tally, via Twitter:

To hear the MMAjunkie Radio hosts debate that topic, watch the video above.

And for more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.