UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane Recap

UFC 265 was definitely a night to remember for numerous reasons; the main reason being Ciryl Gane defeating Derrick Lewis for the Interim Heavyweight Title. The entire card was filled top to bottom with many close and exciting matchups. Read below to get a recap of Alonzo Menifield vs. Ed Herman, Michael Chiesa vs. Vicente Luque, and Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane.

UFC Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Ed Herman - Preliminary Card

This was such an amazing fight to watch, especially live. Ed Herman is an incredibly tough veteran, and I was quite surprised that this fight was not called off by the doctors - just like they did for Victoria Leonardo in the early prelims. 

The UFC Odds for this matchup were: Alonzo Menifield -250 and Ed Herman +200. Since Menifield’s odds were so juiced, I took the MMA Prop, Menifield by T/KO or DQ -115 via BetOnline (Visit our BetOnline Review) as my UFC Pick. I wasn’t all too upset that Menifield did not win inside the distance, only because I was quite impressed with how tough Herman was. This was Menifield’s second appearance at the scorecards, and first win via decision. 

Starting off the fight, you could see Menifield was hunting for another finish. Yet, Herman stayed cool, calm, and collected; he did not seem intimidated by Menifield’s knockout power. Herman was able to clip Menifield a few times when he found the right opening, but Menifield started attacking with leg kicks. 

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1424170363827666947

After numerous leg kicks, you could clearly see the damage on Herman’s leg. Herman had to switch stances to take the weight off the leg and to keep Menifield away from it. In between rounds, the cageside doctor entered the ring and took a look at Herman’s leg. Despite the fact that he could not stand on his leg and was hopping around, the cageside doctor gave the OK to continue the fight. 

The rest of the fight was pure toughness between a veteran in Herman and a rising fighter like Menifield. Menifield was no longer hunting for the finish but you could see the respect between the two as they exchanged heavy hits. Yes, the crowd expected yet again a wild finish from Menifield, but in this outcome, Herman finished his last fight with the UFC with respect and at the cards. Alonzo Menifield won via unanimous decision. 

UFC Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane - Main Event

Let’s talk about the energy of the Houston crowd real quick. Any time Derrick Lewis was shown on the jumbo screen, and especially when he made it to the octagon, the roar of the crowd immediately sent chills down your spine. So the only real reaction you had was screaming along with the crowd!

I had my money on Derrick Lewis; I agreed that Gane was definitely the more technical fighter in this matchup, but I was hoping for a little more output from Derrick and clipping Gane with that one punch he needed. However, Lewis’ output appeared to be less than usual. 

The UFC Odds for this matchup were: Derrick Lewis +270 and Ciryl Gane -360. My UFC Pick for this matchup was Derrick Lewis +300 via BetOnline (Visit our BetOnline Review).

Of course to start the fight, Gane was incredibly light on his feet and had constant forward pressure. He held his hands low, which I felt was incredibly risky against a fighter like Lewis, but it was also a trap for Lewis. Gane implemented lock kicks from at range, while Lewis landed 0 strikes. After the first round, it appeared Lewis was tiring already, yet Gane looked fresher than ever. 

https://twitter.com/ChillemDafoe/status/1424231359892099072

Whenever Lewis would explode to close the distance and land a punch, Gane would just back away and chip at the legs unless he found the right opening to throw one of his lengthy jabs. 

Fast forward to the third round, this was a huge round for Lewis since Gane clearly won the first two. I was hoping for an explosive yet patient Lewis, but I was hoping for too much apparently. Gane was circling Lewis and landing heavy leg kicks. Lews kept aiming for the clinch but Gane was so strong inside the Clinch that Lewis could not overpower him. 

This is when things get hot. Gane made it rain with his hands, landing big shot after big shot. Lewis covered his head while Gane continues to land as many punches as he can; Gane with a heavy knee and it dropped Lewis! Lewis was done for it, and Referee Miragliotta stopped the fight with 4 minutes and 11 seconds in the third round, declaring Ciryl Gane the winner by T/KO. 

Cyril Gane became the Interim Heavyweight Champion on Saturday night. Gane’s output was far superior than Lewis in this matchup; while looking at the final stats, Gane landed 98 significant strikes while Lewis landed only 16. It was sad to see Lewis come short once again to a title belt, so I’m excited to see his next matchups and hopefully see him fighting for the title he truly deserves. 

As for Gane, he is a quick and rising prospect in the UFC. He has an immense amount of talent and I’m quite excited to see what he has to offer against the mighty Francis Ngannou. 

https://twitter.com/LeMartinSports/status/1424232609425633286

Closing Remarks and What’s Next? 

There was only one dog winner on this card, and that winner was Jessica Penne (+110). Penne defeated Karolina Kowalkiewcz via submission in the first round. 

For those of you that didn’t know, this was my first UFC event that I was able to watch live. For any MMA fan, I highly recommend going to an MMA event because the experience is unreal. At UFC 265, I was able to meet Daniel Cormier and also lay inside the octagon. Dreams came true on Saturday night. 

Up next on the UFC schedule, we have a week hiatus until we are back inside the octagon for UFC Vegas 34: Jared Cannonier vs. Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday, August 21st at the UFC Apex. 

UFC Vegas 34 may not be a PPV card, but it still has many intriguing fights. You’ll be able to see inside the octagon: Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte, William Knight vs. Fabio Cherant, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval, and many more!

To help you make your best bets, be sure to check out our weekly UFC Picks and Predictions show on SBR’s YouTube Page with David Manyun and our special guests – they share with you all their top breakdowns and picks for the entire main card.