The best and worst from UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane
One of the UFC's most anticipated pay-per-views of the year, UFC 265, went down today in Houston, Texas. Although the card lost Amanda Nunes vs Julianna Pena, it lived up to expectations with plenty of high-profile wins and explosive finishes.
Miles Johns recorded a brutal knockout win over Anderson Dos Santos in the early prelims, where every fight ended in a finish. Alonzo Menifield brutalized UFC veteran Ed Herman's leg en route to a decision victory in the prelims, which also saw Jessica Penne pull off a surprise submission win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
The featured prelim between Rafael Fiziev and Bobby Green ended up as the Fight of the Night and was massively entertaining. The main card, kicked off by two promising prospects in Song Yadong and Casey Kenney, was excellent as well, even if there were a few insipid moments.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane.
#5 Best - Vintage Jose Aldo channels new blood at UFC 265
Jose Aldo had three losses in his last four fights ahead of UFC 265. The Brazilian had been outclassed by Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan, and edged out by Marlon Moraes, before rebounding against Marlon Vera. But in his fourth bantamweight outing, with a lot of pressure on his shoulders against a challenging fighter in Pedro Munhoz, 'Junior' rose to the occasion.
Munhoz, a fighter who has never been finished and boasts of crisp striking, was touted to defy being ranked ninth and give Aldo some serious problems. But the former UFC featherweight champion was in his element right from the first round, showcasing impeccable speed, footwork and combinations to nullify the threat of 'The Young Punisher'.
Aldo grew into the fight as it progressed and put on a clinic in the third round, throwing brutal leg kicks to clinch a comfortable unanimous-decision win. The 34-year-old still has something left in the tank, and some exciting fights against the bantamweight division's top contenders could be on the cards.
Interestingly, Aldo showed glimpses of his classic speed and movement while also displaying his newfound boxing ability. He is moving towards a traditional boxing-oriented gameplan - something that might bring him success against fighters like Rob Font and T.J. Dillashaw. Vintage Jose had a flash of new blood in him at UFC 265.