3 fights to look forward to and 2 that will likely disappoint at UFC 265
UFC 265 will take place on Saturday, August 7, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. While this pay-per-view is expected to be the promotion's biggest event of the month, it perhaps doesn't stand out as much as previous PPV's.
The main event will feature a controversial interim title bout between top heavyweight contenders Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane. It's unclear why the UFC decided to create a placeholder title with undisputed champ Francis Ngannou being neither injured nor inactive. Nonetheless, we'll have to settle for a glorified number one contender's match in the main event.
It didn't help that the supposed co-main event, a title bout between two-division champ Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña, was scrapped last minute. Unfortunately, the women's bantamweight queen was forced to withdraw from her title defense after testing positive for COVID-19.
Needless to say, UFC 265 isn't the strongest PPV card. However, it isn't a complete waste of time and money either. With that in mind, let's take a look at the three fights to look forward to and two that will likely disappoint at UFC 265.
Fight to look forward to at UFC 265: Michael Chiesa vs. Vicente Luque
![UFC 265: Michael Chiesa vs. Vicente Luque [Photo credit: @luquevicente & @mikemav22 on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/229c8-16280787052472-800.jpg)
An interesting clash of styles between top welterweights Michael Chiesa and Vicente Luque will take place on the main card of UFC 265.
Luque is a terrific striker and a more-than-capable grappler. He has turned the Brabo choke into his signature move, but he uses his stand-up game to set up his submissions. Needless to say, he prefers to do business on the feet.
In contrast, Chiesa relies heavily on his grappling acumen to grind his opponents down. The former The Ultimate Fighter winner imposes his strength to drag his opponents into the deep waters and either get a submission win or score a dominant decision victory.
'The Silent Assassin' secured six straight wins in the UFC before dropping a decision against Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson. Since then, Luque has bounced back with another three in a row, with his latest victory coming against former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley.
Meanwhile, Chiesa is enjoying the best run of his career since entering the UFC. 'Maverick' is on a four-fight winning streak that includes notable victories over Rafael dos Anjos and Neil Magny.
Due to Kamaru Usman's dominance at the top of the division, he's already beaten most elite welterweights and is on his way to beating them twice. This matchup is particularly important for Luque and Chiesa as a victory at UFC 265 would put one of them a step closer to challenging for the 170-pound throne.