UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Lewis vs. Gane
Derrick Lewis, TKO, R2
Derrick Lewis can ko anyone & anything, I heard he could break out of prison by head butting the walls down but he couldn't be asked; he's got experience, rarely quits, tenacity and those malicious eyes that make men cower, I thought he would push Ciryl or try to rile him up more in the pre-fight press conference more but he's a passive guy when he's not fighting. Ciryl Gane is very smart, an animal in the ring, getting more and more experience and motivation I think he's got massive potential, he seems like a nice happy guy enjoying life, someone the ufc can get good boy points with instead of a malicious loudmouth thug as a poster boy but nice guys get screwed by the business, I hope he gets payed. I want a ko from Lewis, but to see how Ciryl approaches this guy, staying close or out of reach, pushing hard or picking off Derrick. Also want some flying kicks and knees from Derrick, that's always good.

Aldo vs. Munhoz
Pedro Munhoz, DEC
José Aldo is a legend, he's amazing & listens to good music I heard him on Morrissey & David Bowie come on it's good; his kicks when they connect are so deadly it's unreal, he's got good pressure, he can brawl as long as he's not gassing, he likes to dodge allot when he gasses. José knows the ground game well sleeping in that gym all his life; motovation and slowing down in later rounds is the biggest issue he's got to use techniques & whitts that he's picked up over the years more then relying purely on his physicality as he ages now, it's tough against killers but he's still fast like lightning. Pedro's legs are gonna feel that ****; if he's this good at 34 keep going! Pedro Munhoz is a vicious lil scrambler and how the hell is he getting so many damn guillotines making people look like amateurs; he takes flying knees like a champ and isn't afraid to brawl, he can take shots all day, a little nutty like you need to be with the MMA some complex where he has to prove he's tough and you do against these animals, smart with the takedowns, moves well, slower then José and less reach but hits okay, he'll finish José if José starts quitting. Pedro needs to put crazy pressure of José, José needs to play a smart came of picking off Pedro at a distance or finding that ko shot, Pedro wins on toughness but it's better to be good then tough ha.

Luque vs. Chiesa
Vicente Luque, TKO, R2
Oh lawd, Vicente knock that damn wrestler te fook out so his hair malts and gets swept away as a tear runs down Michaels face; them wrestlers make me so mad I'm gonna slip all my disks trying the same cheat moves; Michael is so good at fighting and seems like your next door good old handy man that can break into your house with a hatchet and annihilate your good life; I know what it's like to be wrestle ****** and it sucks so much especially with the jaw line choke, rip BD, you do to the guys you hate in the gym; it feels like your jaw is going to rip through your ears; you want to avoid all that wrestling before the fight even starts and I think Michael is better then Vicente on pure ground game fury, Vicente obviously has the win standing, he has the ability to find good subs too when available (rip NP & TW); wiping the grimy floor with your face and back for 3 rounds, that's what Luque has to look forward to if he doesn't finish Michael fast, if he gets taken down Michael is like glue, very hard to reset to feet but possible and Vicente isn't gonna take **** for free. I love watching Vicente fight he's well rounded and got that lead dome, he's on the tony furgeson bone density. I can see Michael taking it to a decision if he plays his good game, even though Vicente knows his stuff. Gilbert Burns's eyes are gonna get sadder after this one potentially. I really want Vicente Luque to win even though I like Michael Chiesa too and Vicente can win but I also want to loose 15kg and I can't; always love a Vicente Luque fight YES!

Torres vs. Hill II
Tecia Torres, DEC
Angela Hill watch out for everything! You better have been working on stuff like you said or else you'll be as pissed as the first time Tecia Torres won. Go out like a champ & at least make Tecia pay for the win I guess. Tecia is faster, more explosive, younger and has a ego that needs to be fed with wins especially after some of the top level women she's lost against, Tecia wants this win bad. In the moments that count where a fight is meant to be won Angela comes in with single shots, missing stuff, playing the fighter but not doing all she can, she does spinning stuff that makes her fall on the ground; but she has improved fighting against high caliber fighters, she has the will to fight so respect, she's not bad the skill level is just damn high. Tecia Torres arms are massive, they both fine looking but I'd like to see Tecia play her good game and maybe turn it up a bit go wild on Angela's ass! Make it a memorable one for the views! Angela needs to hit combos, she moves well but needs to do something new + more pressure, hope she is improving, Tecia just needs to show up ready.

Lewis vs. Gane
Ciryl Gane, TKO, R2
Obviously Lewis has the power to KO anyone and you just can't count him out but Gane is so so good on the feet. He knows when to get out of danger, he knows when to throw and he's so good at just freezing his opponents. Lewis may look to explode with his power, it'll be his best bet because if he sits back and waits for the opening then the opening just isn't gonna come. The problem is is that Lewis leaves himself wide open to counters when exploding and when Blaydes is able to counter him then Gane should do the same. Gane loves the southpaw stance, the left body kick would be so smart for him to throw in this fight because of Lewis' trouble in the past with body shots. I don't see this fight going the distance, someone's getting the finish and I do think it'll be Gane. It'll either be from a body kick or counter shots when Lewis is throwing

Munoz Jr. vs. Simmons
Johnny Munoz Jr., DEC
I expect Johnny M to get his first UFC win in this one. Stylistically seems like a good matchup for him, Jamey likes to use his BJJ, Johnny also likes to do that. Johnny SUB/DEC

Lewis vs. Gane
Derrick Lewis, TKO, R1
BLACK BEAST LFG

Lewis vs. Gane
Ciryl Gane, SUB, R1
I know everyone makes the joke Ciryls better everywhere but D Lewis by knockout lol I know d Lewis ofc could ko gane but I think DC showed Lewis is useless on his back I think gane either by G&P or Leg lock

Aldo vs. Munhoz
José Aldo, TKO, R2
IMO FOTN most likely goes to a decision but wouldn’t it be so nice to see Aldo get a finish here against a game munhoz both these guys throw monster calf kicks have great striking and can mix it up all the way I’d give munhoz the advantage on the mat but Aldo typically has good TDD if Aldo keeps it standing I think his superior Muay Thai wins the fight

Luque vs. Chiesa
Vicente Luque, TKO, R1
It’s either Chiesa sub or Luque ko right ? Well I think Luque has good enough BJJ and takedown defense to not stay on the floor if he does get caught and to not get put to sleep on the floor Chiesa striking does not compete with Luques and if Vicente does this it’s gonna be a bad night for the maverick

Torres vs. Hill II
Tecia Torres, DEC
Most rematches have the same outcome and tecia got them dana Arms

Song vs. Kenney
Yadong Song, TKO, R1
Something about Casey bothers me I don’t like his fight style and I think song will mix up the striking he looked really good against Kyler

Fiziev vs. Green
Rafael Fiziev, TKO, R2
Potential banger but Fiziev is just master class in my opinion and he’s gonna probably put the beats on Bobby

Herman vs. Menifield
Alonzo Menifield, TKO, R2
Ed had been around for a long time and Alonzo likes to crack I think Alonzo gets it done by the second but if not Herman by late sub or SD

Kowalkiewicz vs. Penne
Karolina Kowalkiewicz, DEC
Karolina needs a win and I think she gets it again

Kape vs. Osbourne
Manel Kape, TKO, R2
feel like kape should’ve had a ufc win already I think he’ll be more on the aggressive side due to judges not doing their part

Johns vs. dos Santos
Miles Johns, TKO, R1
Dos Santos brings the heat early and Johns hits a overhand sleeps him

Munoz Jr. vs. Simmons
Johnny Munoz Jr., SUB, R1
Picking munoz just because he only has one loss

Lewis vs. Gane
Ciryl Gane, TKO, R3
This'll be a case of Gane winning the whole fight until he gets slept, is there a chance he gets slept? absolutely, is there also a chance he styles on Derrick Lewis, again has another performance of high level cat and mouse? absolutely. Gane becomes the new Interim heavyweight champion!

Aldo vs. Munhoz
José Aldo, DEC
THE KING OF RIO!!

Luque vs. Chiesa
Vicente Luque, TKO, R1
I'm quite confident in my prediction for this one, which scares me because many people are confident the Maverick gets it done with his wet blanket style. RDA is undersized for 170, Condit has always had bad TDD, Diego Sanchez.... comon.. Neil Magny has no stopping power to stop Chiesa from crashing into the clinch. I think this is a REAL test for Chiesa at 170, you don't get much more violent than Vicenete Luque... The Silent Assassin via TKO/SUB or even DEC!

Torres vs. Hill II
Angela Hill, DEC
pretty decent rematch this one. Initially leaning towards Tecia, changed my mind though, LETS GO OVERKILL HILL!! #revengenotrepeat! Tecia has a quality well rounded game, but Angie has evolved a lot too! If both ladies turn up, this could be a split decision.

Song vs. Kenney
Yadong Song, DEC
SUPER SICK MATCHUP AGAIN! Song is a pure striker, such a clean pure striker. I think he lost his last 3 fights, Cody had good success wrestling, Vera definitely won that fight & Kyler had a standout performance against Song. You could say Song has been underachieving of late. Casey Kenney on the flipside this guy hasn't been underachieving, super tough, relentless, hard worker, powerful kicks, a judoka! Casey Kenney has many great qualities to his game! I think the counter punching of Song will be the result though.

Fiziev vs. Green
Rafael Fiziev, TKO, R2
SUPER SICK MATCHUP! Muay Thai vs Boxing is how i see this one. I know Green has some wrestling chops, a real OG who can do it all. Fiziev has a lot of experience training at Tiger Muay Thai, this gym has an unbelievable work ethic, the mental and physical toughness created in this gym is unlike most. Fiziev will blast the legs of Bobby Green, any takedowns Bobby attempts I believe Fiz will show just how well rounded he is, whether the sprawls are on point, the scrambling, whatever way Fiziev chooses to negate the grappling threat, I think he has success here, specifically with the kicking side of his game. TKO/DEC

Rodriguez vs. Morales
Vince Morales, TKO, R2
Lowkey awesome matchup this one. Vince has his back against the wall with a record in the UFC 1-3, whereas Drako got slept badly in his UFC debut. This should be a fun scrap purely because of the previous history of both fighters, they have something to prove here! Super difficult prediction to make, I'll lean towards Vince.

Herman vs. Menifield
Alonzo Menifield, TKO, R1
My goodness, the OG still going strong ay! Alonzo round 1/2 KO, i'll be pretty amazed if the OG can win 4 times in a row at + money, what an achievement that would be at this point in his career. Fully expect the younger fresher fighter to showcase his KO threat here.

Kowalkiewicz vs. Penne
Karolina Kowalkiewicz, DEC
Karolina 4 L's in a row, maaaaaaan. I think this fight is another one that you can't exactly be super confident either side, having said that, KK FTW! If this fight happened 5 years ago KK would be -400 or more, similar situation with Miesha vs Marion just a couple of weeks ago, hope this fight plays out the way I think it will. KK has the striking advantage (or atleast I think she does) when Penne engages the clinch positions I believe KK punishes her with knees the way she did against Felice a few years ago, really praying KK gets this!

Kape vs. Osbourne
Manel Kape, DEC
Kape has got to get his first UFC win here 0-3 would be a disaster. Ode has the size advantage in height and reach, but not the experience advantage. Kape to show his experience here. TKO/DEC

Johns vs. dos Santos
Miles Johns, DEC
ADS 36 year old bantamweight, can only really see him winning ITD, he'll have to pull something crazy off here to win this fight i believe. Miles is 9 years younger, has shown he's a pretty solid wrestler, his takedowns are usually successful. Johns via DEC

Leonardo vs. Gatto
Victoria Leonardo, DEC
Wouldn't be confident on either side just because of the nature of the matchup we have here. Leonardo isn't exactly elite, isn't exactly showing signs that she can be a contender, she likes to wrestle. Melissa has a sub off her back against Rosa, which kinda makes you think ''there's a good chance it happens here too'' i'll predict Leonardo is intelligent enough to avoid the submission attempts of Melissa.

Am I the only one that hasn’t bought into the hype of Kape? He seems so afraid to get hit that he goes in there hardly fights

im taking osbourne by ko

well with my last 2 stellar UFC card picks (sub .500 lol) im hoping to rebound this week. although, there's a lot of tough picks here

According to most people here, it will either be a boring decision win by Gane, or a brutal KO by Lewis.

While I completely understand why people would think Lewis only chance of victory is by brutal knockout, (Lewis indeed hits like a Texan truck ), I think Gane, despite being a patient and technical master, is a much more violent fighter than people seems to think.

He had one boring fight against the extremely dangerous (ask Overeem) and one dimentional Rozenstruik, but the Volkov and Boser fights weren't that bad, and he landed plenty of damaging knees and elbows that could have finished less tougher opposition, while avoiding any kind of damage.
Except those fights, he destroyed JDS, easily submitted Pessoa, and had a brillant, absolutely brillant showing of technical violence both on the feet and on the ground against Mayes.
His previous MMA fights were all brutal as hell, as well as his kickboxing wins, and all of that while NEVER LOSING A FIGHT EVER.
Add to this that Lewis, as dangerous as he is, doesn't have 5 rounds of cardio (the Hunt  fight comes to mind), and isn't very tough himself (he tends to get hurt to the body a lot, and Gane throws HEAVY body kicks/knees, he's susceptible to leg kicks, and Gane's is a punishing leg hunter, and his chin isn't the best).

He will also be in great danger if the fight hits the ground.

Anyway, I just think it will be a better fight than what most excpect here, with a big finish either way.

Both are likeable, so may the best fighter win, but as a french fan, I'm dreaming about a Gane vs Ngannou unification belt in Paris, French vs French cameroonian, ex training partners with some gym drama between the two, Brutal power and instincts vs sublime technique.

Prelims at 7pm pacific?

No that’s when the main card starts! Prelims should start at 3pm pacific!

^ i dont agree with everything you said but your reasoning is on point. gane vs francis in paris would be cool.

74% are picking Drako Rodriguez after getting KO'd by Helwani? I apologize if this is old news but Rodriguez was called up to the UFC before his Contender Series fight. However KOTC would not release him from contract because they didn't believe he was ready for the UFC yet. I'll link the article. 

Morales R2 KO

https://thebodylockmma.com/king-of-the-cage/johnny-munoz-gives-his-side-of-big-mess-in-drako-rodriguez-kotc-situation/

* Edited at 08.07.2021, 11:14 AM ET *