Significant Stats | UFC 265: Lewis vs Gane

Key Stats: 12 KO/TKO wins (tied-1st all-time), 50.4% significant strike accuracy (8th), 54% takedown defense

What It Means: “The Black Beast” is the Knockout King for a reason. He is not just explosively powerful; he has a keen sense of how to lull his opponent into a false sense of security about how he can implement that power. Even when it seems like the tide is rising against Lewis, it only takes a single 10 or 15 second explosion to put his opponent on the back foot. His defensive grappling is technically sound, and his ability to get up off his back is humorously strong. On the feet, he is much more than a big overhand. Lewis will throw a handful of body and head kicks to keep his foe on guard and isn’t opposed to going airborne for a flying knee either.

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Ciryl Gane

Key Stats: 5.13 strikes landed per minute (6th all-time among HW), +2.53 striking differential (3rd all-time among HW), 63.2% significant strike defense (4th all-time among HW)

What It Means: Gane is a swift, fluid and technical striker, the likes of which we rarely see in the heavyweight division. Almost always bouncing on his feet, Gane has a diverse attack. He’ll throw a bevy of kicks to his opponents’ legs and body, and when he lets his hands go, they come in flurries. He’s patient in his attack, relying on his footwork and range-management to put his opponent on the back foot and piece them up on his terms.

UFC 265 MAIN EVENT: The Stars Have Aligned For Derrick Lewis | Ciryl Gane Pre-UFC Highlights

What to Look For in the Fight: Gane will likely press the action and try to swarm Lewis against the fence. From there, “Bon Gamin” can dictate the pace of the fight, but Lewis is a bit of a chaos agent. You’ll never see his explosions coming, and when he lets his hands go, they come with fury and malintent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Gane either focus on attacking Lewis’ legs or even mix things up and try to get Lewis to the ground. Gane’s submission game is pretty tricky, so he could catch Lewis out there. Lewis is probably the most powerful striker Gane has faced in the Octagon, though, and at heavyweight, that is always a gamechanger.  

Co-Main Event: Pedro Munhoz vs Jose Aldo

Pedro Munhoz

Key Stats: 6 Performance Bonuses (2nd all-time among BW), 5.6 strikes landed per minute (5th), 5.87 strikes absorbed per minute

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What It Means: All things considered, Pedro Munhoz is a brawler. He knows nothing but to press the action, eat shots, and throw heavier ones. He is incredibly comfortable in those heated moments, and he has shown both the power and durability to come out successful from those exchanges. Munhoz’s leg kicks are strong, and he remains committed to any attack that sees success early, and that’s not even getting into his tight submission game. His guillotine is particularly tight, and he can snatch it awfully quick if his opponent shoots on him.

*Jose Aldo

Key Stats: 3.45 strikes landed per minute, 45% striking accuracy, 61% striking defense

What It Means: Aldo seems to have found his stride at 135 pounds, and he seems like a more mindful version of the fighter that made him the featherweight king for years. He is able to mix things up pretty well as well as press the action on the feet, and he is still fast and powerful on the front foot.

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What to Look For in the Fight: Munhoz fights always end up becoming some sort of war, so the same should be expected here. Aldo is a good counterstriker, and he remains committed to body shots when pressed. How he handles Munhoz’s pressure is something to watch because Munhoz will not ever go away. It takes a gargantuan effort to stymie “The Young Punisher,” and he lives up to his name when his opponent gets into a firefight with him.

Other Fights to Watch (Vicente Luque vs Michael Chiesa, Rafael Fiziev vs Bobby Green)

Vicente Luque

Key Stats: 12 finishes (2nd all-time among WW), 5.74 strikes landed per minute (3rd all-time among WW), 65% takedown defense

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What It Means: Luque is just an outright finisher. On the feet, he throws hard, but smart, mixing in elbows and knees in with his punches. When the fight hits the mat, he loves to snatch a D’Arce choke if presented, but he also has strong defensive grappling. When Luque senses the finish, he doesn’t get wild, but just more lethal. Whatever opening is there, he takes, and he isn’t afraid to endure some damage to get his opponent out of there.

*Michael Chiesa