Marcos Rogerio de Lima (left) beat Andrei Arlovski in 2022. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Marcos Rogerio de Lima called out Derrick Lewis prior to his bout with Waldo Cortes-Acosta in April, then secured the opportunity with an unanimous decision victory.

Lewis vs. de Lima goes down Saturday night at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City and features athletes in opposing moments of their careers. “Pezão” has won four of his past five bouts, with half of those wins coming by way of stoppage, whereas “The Black Beast” has his back firmly against the wall after losing four of his past five fights over a span of 23 months.

De Lima said this week on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast that his manager wasn’t a fan of the matchmaking since First Round Management also manages Lewis, but acknowledged nonetheless that the Lewis matchup “was the fight to make.” The Brazilian heavyweight said “I have an aggressive style” so “it’s a good fight for the [UFC].”

“I think my game matches up pretty well with Lewis,’ de Lima said. “Not only that, looking at the rankings, I thought that was the best fight, especially since he has fought for the belt twice. He’s one of the few guys that has defeated Francis Ngannou, so he has power in the division. I think his game, his style matches up well for me. I’m waiting for my moment. Last year I said I was going to end the year at No. 15 or closer, and I’m [No. 15] now.”

Hoping that another octagon victory grants him a spot on the upcoming UFC Sao Paulo card on Nov. 4 in Brazil, de Lima said he expects Lewis to bring his peak performance to the high altitude in Salt Lake City, but promised to ultimately be too much for the veteran.

“I’m going there to fight MMA,” de Lima said. “I’m sure I’m faster and more explosive than him, I have better conditioning, and I’ll explore all that at all times. The fight starts on the feet and I have more weapons than him. He’s a strong guy with a heavy right hand, but I can also take this fight to the ground.

“I see myself better than him technically speaking, too. My wrestling and jiu-jitsu are better than him. I’m better than him in all areas. It’s all about feeling the moment and not make any mistakes because he has knockout power. I trust my speed and chin, and I’m in my prime to face him.”