Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane top this Saturday’s UFC 265 PPV, which sees the octagon return to Houston, Texas to crown an interim heavyweight champion.
Feel free to debate the necessity of a UFC interim heavyweight title all you want. While there’s a strong argument that it’s wholly unnecessary, what with Francis Ngannou ready to fight in the fall, the fact is, the interim belt will be awarded Saturday when Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane collide.
More interesting is whether Lewis, whose wry sense of humor and knockout power has made him a favorite with fans, can cash in on his second shot at UFC gold. Lewis came up short against Daniel Cormier in his first title shot, but Gane is more likely to engage on the feet — and Lewis always has a puncher’s chance.
Also on the card, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo meets Pedro Munhoz, while a welterweight scrap between Michael Chiesa and Vicente Luque could put the winner in title contention.
Full results from Friday’s official weigh-in can be found below.
UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane
Main Card (PPV)
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (264.5) vs. Ciryl Gane (247)
Bantamweight: José Aldo (136) vs. Pedro Munhoz (135)
Welterweight: Michael Chiesa (170.5) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
Women’s Strawweight: Tecia Torres (115) vs. Angela Hill (115)
Bantamweight: Song Yadong (135.5) vs. Casey Kenney (136)
Preliminary card (ESPN / TSN)
Lightweight: Bobby Green (156) vs. Rafael Fiziev (155.5)
Bantamweight: Vince Morales (136) vs. Drako Rodriguez (136)
Light Heavyweight: Ed Herman (205.5) vs. Alonzo Menifield (204.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115) vs. Jessica Penne (116)
Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Flyweight: Manel Kape (129)* vs. Ode Osbourne (125)
Bantamweight: Miles Johns (136) vs. Anderson dos Santos (135.5)
Women’s Flyweight: Victoria Leonardo (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (124)
Bantamweight: Johnny Muñoz Jr. (135.5) vs. Jamey Simmons (136)
* Manel Kape misses weight by 3 pounds.
