UFC 265 took at hit when it lost its one “real” title fight, between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena.
Yes, Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane for an interim heavyweight title was still on the bill. But the legitimacy of that belt was very much in question given undisputed champ Francis Ngannou appeared ready to compete.
Still, what played out at the Toyota Center on Saturday was a very entertaining affair. Five consecutive knockouts started the night. Ed Herman showed heart and a granite chin against Alonzo Menifield, who took the W in one of the few early decisions. Bobby Green and Rafael Fiziev brought the house down in a wholly thrilling featured prelim to cap off the free portion of the card.
The main card had some thrillers as well. Jose Aldo looked solid in a three-round affair against Pedro Munhoz. In 15 minutes, he set a personal record for strikes, an impressive feat given the number of title fights the Brazilian has been in.
Vicente Luque arrived in the welterweight division Saturday. He defended against some slick submission attempts from Michael Chiesa, before landing his own with a d’arce choke.
Tune in to the UFC 265 post-fight press conference in the video embed above!
