Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane are set to face-off in an interim UFC Heavyweight Championship bout this Saturday night at UFC 265 in Houston, Texas.
It’s a matchup of great significance as the winner will emerge as the next opponent for heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou possibly later this year.
Gane is currently a sizable betting favorite before UFC 265 with odds of -310 at most bookmakers while Lewis is currently available at odds of +250 and will register as a major underdog on the night.
The odds are somewhat unexpected considering that many UFC fighters and fans seem to think that Lewis will be victorious on Saturday night.
This is backed up by the results of James Lynch’s “MMA Pros Pick” series in which he asked fighters who will win Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 265. Continue reading to see MMA fighter predictions for UFC 265.
How to watch UFC 265
Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane is the main event of the UFC 265 PPV this Saturday night. The only way to watch UFC 265 live in the United States is via ESPN+.
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Curtis Blaydes
“I believe that Derrick’s going to win and I think they’re going to get that rematch [with Francis Ngannou].
“I think he’s able to just… he has a unique skill set, he’s able to just absorb these shots and I know it frustrated me. I landed a lot of good shots and that’s why I felt like the takedown attempt that I did in the second round — the one where he caught me with an uppercut — was a bit of a rushed one because I felt like my strikes weren’t doing enough, but obviously going back and watching the film I was wrong, as I was winning on the feet.
“Derrick knows how to frustrate guys and knows how to bring people into his range because he knows he doesn’t have the athleticism to play the dancing game, he knows that’s not what he is, that’s not his game. He’s able to bring them into his world and if you ever do stop moving and he’s there and he lands it could be lights out.”
– Lewis vs. Gane predictions with James Lynch
Cory Sandhagen
“Let’s go with Derrick Lewis because I think he has more experience in high-level fights. I think Ciryl’s good but I think Lewis has proven time and time again that he only needs that one shot and I think that he’s a killer when he’s in there so I’m going to go with Lewis.”
– Lewis vs. Gane predictions with James Lynch
Chris Daukaus
“It all depends on what type of Gane comes out and the amount of respect that he shows Derrick Lewis. If you respect Derrick Lewis and his power too much you’re going to be apprehensive and you’re going to be waiting for him to throw and you won’t be fighting your fight. If Gane comes out and starts landing big kicks, you know, whether it’s to the leg or to the body and makes Derrick Lewis throw when he’s not necessarily ready to throw I can see Gane winning a decision but the biggest thing with Derrick Lewis is whether it’s ten seconds into the fight or there are ten seconds left in a five-round fight, he can switch your lights off and that’s the scary part about Derrick Lewis. In my opinion, I think he’s the most dangerous power puncher in the heavyweight division.
– Lewis vs. Gane predictions with James Lynch
Josh Emmett
“You know that Derrick Lewis has the KO power and if he lands a clean shot on anyone they’re going out. Ciryl Gane is a super technical fighter and he did really well against Volkov in his last fight so I’m going to have to go with Ciryl Gane.
– Lewis vs. Gane predictions with James Lynch