One fighter will get to hold a UFC belt for the first time at the end of UFC 265 as the interim heavyweight title is on the line. Cageside Press has its picks set.
| Writer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Doherty (85-49) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Eddie Law (34-23) |  |  | | |  |
| Alex Behunin (71-49) | | |  | | |
| Justin Gibbons (81-58) | | | | | |
| Gabriel Gonzalez (77-62) | | | | | |
| Jay Anderson (69-66) | | | |  | |
| Chris Prawdzik (4-1) | | | | | |
| Dylan Bowker (64-66) | | | | | |
It may be rushed, but the interim heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis will surely deliver in the main event of UFC 265. Lewis has a knack for going on runs in the Octagon. Heading into tonight’s title fight, he has four straight victories with a pair of knockouts, including one over Curtis Blaydes. Gane is seen as the future of the heavyweight division and is 9-0 in his career, six of those wins coming in the UFC. Lewis was picked by five of eight writers.
The legendary Jose Aldo faces Pedro Munhoz in the co-main event. Aldo recently struggled against three of the best fighters around – Alexander Volkanovski, Marlon Moraes, and Petr Yan – but bounced back with a big win over Marlon Vera. Munhoz recently snapped a two-fight skid with a hard-fought win over Jimmie Rivera. All but one writer picked Aldo.
A pair of streaking welterweights collide as Michael Chiesa faces Vicente Luque. Chiesa is 4-0 since moving up to welterweight, defeating Neil Magny last time out. Luque has won nine of his last 10 with eight of those wins ending before the final bell. Cageside Press is split at four picks apiece.
Angela Hill and Tecia Torres meet in a battle of veteran strawweights. Torres has rebounded from a four-fight losing streak recently by winning two consecutive fights. Hill recently returned to the win column after two controversial split decisions against Michelle Waterson and Claudia Gadelha. Hill was picked by five of eight writers.
Exciting bantamweights Song Yadong and Casey Kenney open up the UFC 265 main card. Yadong recently lost for the first time since 2016, falling to Kyler Phillips. Kenney had his three-fight win streak snapped by former champion Dominick Cruz. Kenney was picked by five of eight writers.
