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5 most explosive moments from UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane

After his beatdown of Derrick Lewis, Ciryl Gane is now a UFC champion
After his beatdown of Derrick Lewis, Ciryl Gane is now a UFC champion

UFC 265 looked like a good event on paper, and in the end it turned out to be a truly excellent show packed with exciting fights.

With a number of violent finishes on offer, UFC 265 was certainly not short on explosive moments, making it one of the more memorable events of 2021.

So which explosive moments from UFC 265 stood out above all the others? There were plenty to choose from after all.

With that considered, here are the five most explosive moments from UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane.


#5 Alonzo Menifieldā€™s brutal leg kick buckles longtime UFC veteran Ed Herman

Alonzo Menifield abused Ed Herman with some brutal striking
Alonzo Menifield abused Ed Herman with some brutal striking

The hype around light-heavyweight prospect Alonzo Menifield evaporated a long time ago thanks to his losses to Devin Clark and Ovince St. Preux, so most fans were overlooking his clash with longtime UFC veteran Ed Herman last night.

However, Menifield treated the fans in attendance to probably his most impressive performance in the UFC to date. Despite Herman showing remarkable durability, Menifield used his power striking to beat ā€˜Short Fuseā€™ up for three rounds, eventually winning a clear decision.

Menifield looked like he was about to finish Herman in the second round, as he opened up on him with a truly vicious flurry that had him badly wobbled. Quite how the TUF 3 veteran survived the barrage is anyoneā€™s guess.

The most explosive moment came in the roundā€™s dying seconds, though. With his lead leg already badly compromised, Herman ate a pair of brutal leg kicks from Menifield ā€“ the second of which dropped him face-first.

It was an unbelievably nasty shot and had there been more time left in the round, Menifield may well have picked up a stoppage. The fact that Herman survived another round only stood to emphasise the veteranā€™s sheer toughness and heart ā€“ something thatā€™s allowed him to remain in the UFC after 15 years.

However, even though Menifield didnā€™t earn a TKO, the sheer brutality of his striking last night earns him a spot on this list of explosive moments. Perhaps now heā€™s a man worth watching again.

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