A shot at heavyweight supremacy is on the line at UFC 265 as Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane fight for to become interim heavyweight crown.
The pair enter the bout as the No. 3 and No. 4 heavyweights in the world, with the winner next in line to take on Francis Ngannou for UFC gold.
Lewis may be the more established fighter but he is long odds against Gane, the undefeated Frenchman who has made a rapid rise through the UFC world.
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The 31-year-old Gane boasts a 9-0 record with his latest victory coming via a unaminous decision over Alexander Volkov in June.
Gane has been quick to make his mark in the sport since debuting in the UFC in August 2019, having spent his youth playing football and basketball.
“Gane has taken the UFC world by storm,” ESPN’s Max Kellerman said.
Now with a dominant victory he has the chance to join Ngannou and Jon Jones as the dynamic trio competing for supremacy in the heavyweight division for years to come.
Lewis (25-7) may be the underdog at 36 years old but will be looking to complete a stunning comeback after back-to-back losses two years casts doubts over whether he would be able to get to the top of his game again.
He though remains the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts in the heavyweight division and crucially is one of just two men to have taken down Ngannou before.
Lewis was already taking shots at Gane before the fight itself, sending the Frenchman a stern warning when asked about his chances of stealing the show at his hometown Texas.
“You gonna have to excuse my French but f*** you and f*** him,” he said.
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While the winner is set to get a shot at Ngannou, the heavyweight title picture is a complex one with former champ Stipe Miocic also owed a shot according to Dana White.
Then there is former lightweight champion Jon Jones, whose move to heavyweight could include a title shot to build up anticipation.
LUQUE’S BIG CALL OUT AFTER SUBMISSION WIN
Earlier, Vicente Luque was close to being submitted in a rear choke only to instead force Michael Chisea into a tap-out and command the UFC world’s attention.
It was Luque’s signature D’arce choke that forced Chiesa into submission at 3:25 in the first round.
He has now won four-straight fights and has the second-most finishes in UFC welterweight history (13) only behind Matt Brown (14).
With just two losses in his past 16 UFC fights, Luque is quickly establishing himself as one of the most feared fighters in the game.
“His choke was 80 per cent in two times but I know how to defend it really well,” Luque said post-fight.
When asked about his submission, Luque said: “Once I lock it, it is hard for people to get out of it.”
Now he is ready for a shot at welterweight glory.
“I want to say something to Kamaru Usman,” he said.
“My man, my friend, but he asked some welterweights to show him something. I think I’ve been showing, I’m finishing most of my fights. I’m not the kind of guy to make boring fights.”
‘LIKE A TUMOUR’: VETERAN COPS A BEATING BUT PUSHES THROUGH
Alonzo Menifield won his light heavyweight fight with Ed Herman 30-27 on all three official scorecards but it was a credit the bout went that far.
Herman continued to push on for the full three rounds despite appearing to grow a third leg after brutal kicks from Menifield left him struggling to walk.
At 40 years old Herman is the longest-tenured fighter in the UFC, first debuting back in 2006 and was on a three-fight win streak.
He was the underdog though and Menifield dominated with a combination of leg kicks and jabs.
Herman copped a beating but his ability to stick out the entire fight did not go unnoticed by Menifield.
“It was awesome,” he said post-fight.
“Ed Herman, I appreciate you very very much. That man is 40 and I came in here like, ‘I’m gonna knock his old ass out.’”
LEONARDO’S INJURY CURSE CONTINUES
Victoria Leonardo broke her arm in her last fight in January but faced a similar fate in her return fight against Melissa Gatto.
The bout went two rounds with Leonardo tiring early as Gatto landed jabs with ease.
Leonardo then said her arm “isn’t working” and the fight was called off after the cageside doctor came in and declared she was not fit to continue.
It saw Gatto win via TKO (doctor stoppage) as Leonardo faced another long injury layoff.
It is also the fifth UFC PPV in a row where a fighter has suffered a visible injury to a limb.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Lewis vs Gane
Nationality: American – French
Age: 36 – 31
Height: 6ft 3in – 6ft 4in
Reach: 79’ – 81’
Weight: 260lbs – 264lbs
Record: 25-7-0 (1 NC) – 9-0-0
UFC 265 FIGHT CARD
Ciryl Gane vs. Derrick Lewis, interim heavyweight championship
Jose Aldo defeated Pedro Munhoz by unaminous decision, bantamweight
Vicente Luque defeated Michael Chiesa by submission, welterweight
Tecia Torres defeated Angela Hill by unanimous decision, women’s strawweight
Song Yadong defeated Casey Kenney by split decision, bantamweight
Rafael Fiziev defeated Bobby Green by unanimous decision, lightweight
Vince Morales defeated Drako Rodriguez by unanimous decision, bantamweight
Alonzo Menifield defeated Ed Herman by unanimous decision, light heavyweight
Jessica Penne defeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz by submission, women’s flyweight
Manel Kape defeated Ode Osbourne by KO, flyweight
Miles Johns defeated Anderson Dos Santos by KO, bantamweight
Melissa Gatto defeated Victoria Leonardo by TKO, women’s flyweight
Johnny Munoz Jr. defeated Jamey Simmons by submission, bantamweight
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