UFC 265 recap: Results, highlights and evaluation

Francis Ngannou has no shortage of challengers for his heavyweight title.

Faded two-time champ Stipe Miocic awaits his rematch for the belt, and he and Ngannou are even after splitting their first two fights. The massive Jon Jones is also a perennial risk the 2nd he makes his UFC heavyweight debut. A brand level-headed challenger for Ngannou also emerged in the most vital event of UFC 265, as Ciryl Gane dominated Derrick Lewis en path to becoming the level-headed intervening time heavyweight champion with an wonderful TKO victory.

The celebration for Gane (10–0) became once tempered, because the intervening time title is clearly now not his cease scheme. An excellent more intense dispute awaits in Ngannou, even though that matchup without be aware looks plenty tougher for Ngannou after Gane’s flawless execution in piecing aside Lewis. Gane controlled all 14 minutes of the fight, continuously changing stances and utilizing a combination of tempo and strength that rendered Lewis fully ineffective. There became once by no way any decent offense from Lewis, and Gane’s vicious flurry of leg kicks on Lewis’s lead leg removed the likely for that decisive strength punch.

The 265 card became once correct but now not huge, nonetheless it did offer its piece of high parts. José Aldo regarded love a exact risk in victory in opposition to Pedro Munhoz. This became once a conventional efficiency for Aldo (30–7), who has now level-headed wins in his perfect two bantamweight fights. Though Munhoz (19–6, 1 NC) showed appreciable toughness by withstanding the onslaught from Aldo, he became once simply now not competitive on this bout. One among the more racy sides of this fight came about in commentary, where Dominick Cruz floated the root of a fight in opposition to Aldo, which might be memorable.

Vicente Luque also attach forth a formidable efficiency. Luque (21-7-1) picked up his fourth straight snatch with a submission victory in opposition to Michael Chiesa that featured a surprising ending sequence in the hole spherical. Chiesa (18–5) had Luque in a rear choke, which he became once discontinuance to fully applying, but Luque broke free and utilized the D’Arce choke, which Chiesa became once unable to interrupt. The victory keeps Luque in title contention for Kamaru Usman’s welterweight belt, but he is level-headed in line in the encourage of a log jam that includes Colby Covington, Leon Edwards, and move even Gilbert Burns.

Tecia Torres regarded excellent in her unanimous option victory in opposition to Angela Hill. This became once a rematch from 2015, which Torres (13–5) also obtained by unanimous option. Hill (13–10) became once by no way a risk on this fight, and the snatch elevates Torres in the strawweight division, where she’s going to glance a chief-5 opponent in her subsequent bout. And the card opened with an exhilarating bantamweight bout pitting Music Yadong in opposition to Casey Kenney. Despite a formidable third spherical from Kenney (16-4-1), Yadong (17-5-1, 1 NC) controlled the first two rounds, ensuing in a fracture up option victory.

The presence of Amanda Nunes became once sorely missing at UFC 265, but the lasting portray will most doubtless be Gane taking possession of the intervening time title. Gane left absolute self assurance with a commanding snatch in opposition to Lewis, staking his say in the UFC heavyweight division and capturing Ngannou’s attention in the approach.

INTERIM HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT: DERRICK LEWIS VS. CIRYL GANE — 12: 29 AM ET

The undefeated high-tail for Ciryl Gane continues.

Gane (10-0) regarded extraordinarily spectacular in a TKO victory in opposition to Derrick Lewis. Gane dominated Lewis (25-8, 1 NC), utilizing a combination of tempo and strength. He controlled the first two rounds, continuously switching stances, which introduced about even more complications for Lewis. Gane attacked Lewis’s lead leg with kicks in the third spherical, placing off a appreciable amount of Lewis’ strength for his lawful-handed shot.

Lewis opened the fight with a head kick, but he by no way constructed any momentum from there. Gane had a ideal sport conception and flawless execution in opposition to Lewis, by no way permitting the most decorated knockout artist in MMA to fight the form of bout he became once trying to salvage.

Gane is now the level-headed intervening time heavyweight champion, primed for a title unification fight in opposition to Francis Ngannou.

BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT: JOSÉ ALDO VS. PEDRO MUNHOZ — 11: 52 PM ET

José Aldo delivered a conventional efficiency, successful by unanimous option in opposition to Pedro Munhoz.

Here is two straight for Aldo (30-7) at bantamweight, and he regarded excellent in opposition to Munhoz (19-6, 1 NC). Aldo dictated the tempo of the fight in conjunction with his protection, then capitalized in conjunction with his offense. His boxing became once sensational, and he fully dominated the 2nd and third rounds.

Aldo broke his non-public file for vital strikes landed. Munhoz by some means per chance well withstood a ton of punishment, and he clearly might now not choose tempo with a more aggressive Aldo, who will most doubtless be 35 subsequent month but clearly level-headed has life left in his MMA profession.

WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT: MICHAEL CHIESA VS. VICENTE LUQUE — 11: 28 PM ET

Vicente Luque earned his eighth profession submission snatch, showing off his elite pickle as a jiu-jitsu brown belt in a vital-spherical victory in opposition to Michael Chiesa.

The D’Arce choke supplied a sexy enact for Luque (20-7-1) that came straight away after Chiesa (18-5) had Luque in a rear choke, which he became once discontinuance to fully applying. However Luque broke it, then utilized his hang choke, and there became once absolute self assurance his chokehold became once locked in tight.

Luque’s snatch ought to level-headed fracture him into the tip four of the welterweight division. Following the victory, he known as out Kamaru Usman for a title shot. While it level-headed makes more sense for Leon Edwards to salvage a crack on the belt first, this snatch completely locations Luque on a rapid record of title contenders.

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT FIGHT: TECIA TORRES VS. ANGELA HILL — 10: 54 PM ET

The first time Tecia Torres defeated Angela Hill in 2015, the snatch became once credited to her grappling. Their rematch became once a huge gamble for Torres (13-5) to showcase her placing, which she did for three straight rounds in opposition to Hill (13-10) in a unanimous option.

The victory is Torres’ third consecutive snatch, placing her in thunder for a chief-5 fight in the strawweight division. Torres frail her tempo and she reacted great sooner than Hill, who absorbed nonstop punishment. Torres unleashed an array of body kicks, inner kicks, and shots to the face, and she became once by no way in wretchedness in opposition to Hill.

The loss is a vital disappointment for Hill, but permits Torres to re-enter the title portray in the strawweight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT FIGHT: SONG YADONG VS. CASEY KENNEY — 10: 21 PM ET

Casey Kenney and Music Yadong went the gap in an awfully competitive fight to launch the bout, with Yadong (17-5-1, 1 NC) successful the bout by fracture up option.

Yadong’s timing on body hits became once so exact. His tempo by no way waned, and he led all three rounds in vital strikes. There were parts where Kenney (16-4-1) regarded especially sharp, but despite a extraordinarily sturdy third spherical, he simply did now not attain enough to separate himself in the first two rounds.

This marks the 2nd loss in a row for Kenney, but the option improves the 23-year-extinct Yadong to 6-1-1 in the UFC.

A brand level-headed champion will most doubtless be topped at UFC 265, as Derrick Lewis fights to grab his first UFC championship in an intervening time title bout in opposition to the undefeated Ciryl Gane.

The cardboard is rapid on megastar strength following the news that Amanda Nunes is now not competing attributable to checking out definite for COVID-19. However whereas the stakes will now not be as vital as previously anticipated, there are level-headed compelling bouts, mainly Michael Chiesa in opposition to Vicente Luque in welterweight motion. Each and every Chiesa and Luque need the snatch to elevate themselves in the division, and a victory locations them one step nearer to a title shot in opposition to Kamari Usman.

The outlet bout of the most vital card is Music Yadong in opposition to Casey Kenney, which ought to level-headed be a wild affair between the two bantamweights. Yet every other racy bout pits Tecia Torres in opposition to Angela Hill. Here is six years after their first assembly, which Torres obtained by unanimous option at UFC 188. It’s a must-snatch for either fighter to possess a shot at progressing toward a title bout. And whereas José Aldo seeks to level to that he’s now not in the twilight of his UFC profession, Pedro Munhoz (who is the the same age as Aldo) fights to make a decision away from his third defeat in his past four fights.

UFC 265 is centered squarely spherical the most vital event, as Lewis and Gane every glance their first portion of UFC gold. This ought to level-headed be a reasonably certain-slice bout; if Gane can battle Lewis and tire him out, that is also a submission enact and an extension of Gane’s undefeated high-tail. However if the fighters dwell on their feet, Lewis will most doubtless be one punch away from ending Gane’s evening.

Justin Barrasso can also be reached at [email protected]. Be aware him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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