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Despite losing the originally scheduled co-main event, which was a title fight between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena, UFC 265 promises to be a stacked card filled with explosive fights.
Song Yadong and Casey Kenney kick off the main card in what is bound to be an exciting clash, followed by Angela Hill and Tecia Torres in a strawweight bout. The prelims are graced by the presence of fighters like Rafael Fiziev and Alonzo Menifield, making UFC 265 an action-packed event overall.
A few fighters have a lot riding on UFC 265, especially those who are placed atop the main card. Here are three of them.
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#3 Jose Aldo - faces Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265
Former UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo is still only 34 years old, but he appears to be well past his prime as a fighter. The Brazilian has struggled since moving down to bantamweight, although he has claimed that cutting to 135 lbs is easier than 145.
Aldo lost to Marlon Moraes on his UFC bantamweight debut in December 2019 in a split decision many believed he deserved to be on the right side of. Given the controversial nature of the loss and his stature in the promotion as one of its longest-tenured champions, 'Junior' fought for the vacant title against Petr Yan in July 2020 and was brutally beaten up by the Russian.
Aldo then needed a smart third round to clinch a unanimous-decision win against Marlon Vera back in December 2020. Now up against ninth-ranked Pedro Munhoz, he desperately needs a statement win to justify being in the top five of the division. Munhoz is a similarly exciting striker who is not only technically skilled but also extremely durable, having never been finished in his professional MMA career.
Should Aldo win, he would probably be back on a quest for the title as he claims to desire. But if he falls short, his UFC road might be nearing a premature end.
#2 Michael Chiesa - faces Vicente Luque at UFC 265
Michael Chiesa is ranked only one place ahead of his opponent at UFC 265, Vicente Luque. 'The Silent Assassin' is one of the most dangerous welterweights on the roster, and has lost only to Leon Edwards and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson in the last five years.
So why does Chiesa have a lot riding on this weekend's pay-per-view? Well, Kamaru Usman and his manager Ali Abdelaziz tried to get a fight against 'Maverick' done earlier this year, but were thwarted by the UFC. Although Usman faces Colby Covington in a box-office rematch, Chiesa could easily be next in line with a win.
If he uses his strong grappling to beat Luque, Chiesa would be on a five-fight win streak in the UFC. Apart from Leon Edwards, who himself has been inactive for large periods of time, no one would have a better case for a title shot.
Chiesa has often spoken about how he feels he'll be a terrible match-up for Usman, who in turn wants to clear out the rest of the division after notching up wins over several fighters in the top five. The 33-year-old's career could change with a win over Luque, just as much as it would nosedive with a loss.
#1 Derrick Lewis - faces Ciryl Gane at UFC 265
Before agreeing to face Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title, Derrick Lewis was probably looking at a shot at the undisputed strap currently held by Francis Ngannou. UFC president Dana White, reluctant to hand Stipe Miocic an immediate trilogy or meet Jon Jones' demands, had all but confirmed the same.
Now, after Ngannou asked for a couple more months of downtime, Lewis finds himself in the second title fight of his UFC career. He also finds himself up against one of the toughest opponents in the division - a talented, undefeated striker with an excellent understanding of range and an uncanny ability to avoid damage in Ciryl Gane.
Lewis has spoiled betting lines several times before, but he's never been up against someone as fast and technically sound as Gane. For someone who was staring at a matchup against Ngannou just a few weeks ago, it's a big step down. And at 36 years of age, he may not have enough left in the tank to make another run if he loses this weekend.
But Lewis doesn't seem to mind and he certainly can't be counted out. Will we see another all-time knockout from 'The Black Beast' at UFC 265?
