Author: Dan Hiergesell

An interim UFC heavyweight champion will be crowned later tonight (Sat., Aug. 7, 2021) at UFC 265 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Toyota Center in Houston, Tex., as Derrick Lewis tries to punch his way to a title in a main event clash with undefeated French contender Ciryl Gane.

In addition to the heavyweight headliner, former UFC champion Jose Aldo will look to continue his quest for a bantamweight crown in a co-main event showdown with fellow Brazilian Pedro Munhoz. The main card will also feature a welterweight bout between streaking contenders Michael Chiesa and Vicente Luque, as well as a rematch between women’s strawweight veterans Tecia Torres and Angela Hill.

Take a look below at UFC 265’s complete fight card line up and start times:

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT

Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane
Jose Aldo vs. Pedro Munhoz
Michael Chiesa vs. Vicente Luque
Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill
Song Yadong vs. Casey Kenney

‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN2/ESPN+)
8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT

Bobby Green vs. Rafael Fiziev
Vince Morales vs. Drako Rodriguez
Ed Herman vs. Alonzo Menifield
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Jessica Penne

Early ‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN2/ESPN+/Fight Pass)
6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT

Manel Kape vs. Ode Osbourne
Miles Johns vs. Anderson dos Santos
Victoria Leonardo vs. Melissa Gatto
Johnny Munoz Jr. vs. Jamey Simmons

Online

• UFC 265: “Lewis vs. Gane” PPV main card can be viewed via the ESPN+ streaming app.
• Subscriptions cost $5.99 per month. The UFC 265 PPV will cost $69.99 for current subscribers.
• UFC 265: “Lewis vs. Gane” undercard “Prelims” can be viewed via ESPN+ as well.

Television

• UFC 265: “Lewis vs. Gane” undercard “Prelims” can be viewed via ESPN 2. Check your local providers or click for instant access to ESPN.
• UFC 265: “Lewis vs. Gane” can also be streamed via Xbox One, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and ChromeCast.

Tablet/Mobile

• UFC 265: “Lewis vs. Gane” PPV main card and undercard “Prelims” can be viewed via ESPN+ streaming app through Google Play and iTunes stores.

Bars

• Stay home, be safe. But if you really, really need to go out and watch UFC 265 there is a list of bars near you airing “Lewis vs. Gane” right here.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 265 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Surging middleweight contender Sean Strickland is eager to deliver Luke Rockhold a three-piece and soda, whether it happens in or out of the Octagon.

Strickland, who climbed to No. 8 in the UFC’s growing middleweight division with a recent main event win over Uriah Hall, has already been linked to a potential clash with Rockhold. Remember, Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion, announced his intentions to return to the sport over one year ago.

Rockhold, who has lost three out of his last four trips to the Octagon, is really in no position to pick and choose opponents. However, after learning about UFC president Dana White’s plan to match him up with Strickland, Rockhold revealed that he thought Strickland was a “idiot” and barely deserving of a matchup.

Of course, Strickland did not take kindly to Rockhold’s words and fired back in a feisty Instagram post earlier this week. Check it out below:

“All these things, they might be true,” said Strickland. “But I’ll tell you one thing: Me and you might never fight. I don’t care about fighting in the cage for ego reasons. I like to get paid at something I enjoy. But I’ll tell you f*cking one thing: You just can’t live in a radius of me and run your f*cking mouth and not expect for me to hit you in the face. We don’t need to fight, that’s fine. But I’m going to run into you at RVCA.

“I’m going to see you in the parking lot, and I’m going to walk up to you and smack you in the f*cking face, and you seem like the kind of p*ssy that runs his f*cking mouth and gets hit and then calls the cops. But you’re such a smug, cocky motherf*cker that I would probably take a misdemeanor charge just to smack you and watch your f*cking head bounce off the ground. So again, we don’t gotta fight. But don’t f*cking run your mouth because I’m going to see you again, and I’m going to smack you in the f*cking face.”

While it’s unlikely that Strickland and Rockhold will actually throw down outside of the Octagon it’s interesting to see both middleweights mix it up so much. Rockhold may not think that Strickland deserves the fight, but Strickland is doing a pretty good job at working the former UFC champion up. This may end up being the perfect matchup for Rockhold to return to.

What say you, Maniacs? Is Strickland vs. Rockhold the best matchup to make? Who do you give the early edge to?

Let’s hear it!

Urijah Faber just can’t seem to stay away from professional fighting, but that only means good things for his fans.

Faber, who turned 42 back in May, has made it clear that he is interested in a return to MMA as long as everything lines up correctly. “California Kid” hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Petr Yan back in Dec. 2019. Faber had returned to fighting just five months earlier after being away from the sport for three years.

Now, the former WEC featherweight champion is hoping the stars align for another return to the cage. Faber admits that he would have liked to explore the option much sooner, but the COVID-19 pandemic really hampered his chances of coming back to fight, especially since he wouldn’t be competing in front of a crowd.

“I was definitely not planning on the whole shutdown of the entire world and, at that time, having a baby on the way and a newborn,” Faber told The Schmo. “I fight because I love it, it’s a good time, the entire experience. Not having a crowd, I was definitely not going to fight. Now that the crowd’s back, I wouldn’t put it past.”

Luckily, Faber has already been called out by multiple fighters over the past few years. Despite his age the WEC legend is still one of the most popular names in the sport and a fighter who can give any up-and-coming contender the chance to really take off. While “California Kid” has a long list of fighters he could meet in his return Faber is interested in mixing it up with bantamweight contender Marlon Vera.

“I’ve heard maybe seven or eight guys that have called me out, maybe asked for the fight, some respectfully, some disrespectfully,” Faber said. “Chito Vera, he’s one of the guys. That would be an interesting matchup. It’s funny, the whole thing that happened with him and Song Yadong. He was all bent out of shape about that fight. Backstage his whole team was ranting and raving and I said, ‘Guy, you can always do it again,’ and he goes, ‘Why don’t you fight me?’ So I said right in from of Song, ‘You don’t want to fight Song again?’ ‘Oh I do, buh-buh-buh.’ But he hasn’t said a word about Song. That would be a good one though, old Chito Vera.”

All of that said, Faber is going to need some time to prepare for a return to action if it actually happens. The aging veteran doesn’t possess the same athleticism he once did and needs a little extra time to get back into fight shape. Of course, Faber also has to clear his potential return with UFC brass.

“I would probably, if I was going to compete, need to get back into Rocky mode and it would take me a couple months, but I’m not opposed to getting in a good old fist-fight,” Faber said. “Fun, you get paid, part of your passion, so don’t count the idea out. I’ll have a sit down with Sean Shelby and maybe Dana White and see if they think it’s a good idea to get back in there but I’m always game.”

The upcoming matchup between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler may be in jeopardy, but that isn’t stopping the two lightweights from adding fuel to their growing rivalry.

Gaethje and Chandler were originally expected to meet at UFC 268 this November in New York City, but recent COVID-19 mandates in the state of New York may stop that matchup from happening. That’s because Chandler isn’t expecting to be vaccinated by the time he meets “Highlight” at UFC 268. It is unknown at this time if the matchup will go on as planned or if the promotion will switch the 155-pound fight to another event.

Either way, the rivalry between Gaethje and Chandler is really beginning to gain steam. Chandler was in attendance to co-host UFC 265’s weigh-in show on Friday and Gaethje joined on a video call. The coverage was brief, but Gaethje made his intentions clear when speaking with the former Bellator MMA champion.

“I got nothing mean to say,” said Gaethje. “We do mean things to each other one night a year. It’s been a while since I fought someone I didn’t like. For some reason you’re a little different. I think it was James Vick, the last guy I fought that I didn’t like. It’ll be fun to punch you in the face.”

Gaethje, who hasn’t competed since a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov back in Oct. 2020, is hoping to launch himself right back into contention with a win over Chandler. Unfortunately, New York doesn’t seem to be a likely landing spot for the lightweight showdown and “Highlight” is not happy.

“I don’t think it’ll be in New York City,” Gaethje said. “I think it’ll be in probably Texas or something, somewhere way sweeter than New York City. New York City sucks. Anywhere outside of that place, and we’ll be good to go.”

It’s rare that we see Gaethje show so much emotion before a fight, but Chandler seems to be rubbing him the wrong way. The lightweight pairing should produce fireworks whenever they actually lock horns and Gaethje is going to be happy to punch Chandler in the face.

“I’m excited to fight someone I don’t like,” Gaethje said. “It’s been a while. I have no reason not to like you. Something about your face just makes me want to punch it.”

Former UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano has broken her silence after being released by the promotion earlier this month following a botched weight cut.

Montano, who hasn’t competed inside of the Octagon since a loss to Julianna Pena back in July 2019, was scheduled to meet Wu Yanan last weekend at UFC Vegas 33. However, Montano missed weight by a shocking seven pounds and the bout was yanked from the card (details HERE).

Unfortunately, this was not the first time Montano has pulled out of a fight. In fact, since her last trip to the cage, Montano has pulled out of fights six different times due to injury, COVID-19 protocol, travel restrictions, and/or failed weight cuts. It has prohibited her from fulfilling her UFC contract and actually becoming a valued member of the roster. In turn, UFC decided to cut ties earlier this week and let Montano walk.

Montano, who had a promising career after winning the inaugural flyweight strap back in 2017, released a statement to Instagram on Thursday regarding her recent UFC release. Check it out below:

“Down but never out… Seems to be the story of my career but for better or for worse I’m in the thicc [sic] of it and MMA is how I started my personal growth and I will never give up on me. It has brought me the highest of highs and lowest of lows and if it ain’t that, am I really living..?”

Montano, 32, is likely to find a job somewhere else. But with many of her issues beginning outside of the cage it’s hard to tell if the flyweight fighter will button things up moving forward. It would be nice to see her make her return to action, but nobody knows her future at this time.

Sean Strickland delivered the goods last night (Sat., July 31, 2021) at UFC Vegas 33 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the middleweight contender put a beating on Uriah Hall to win his first main event bid (highlights HERE).

In addition to the middleweight headliner, a slew of main card and “Prelims” fights produced memorable action. Check them out below and let us know which one stood out the most.

• Women’s strawweight prospect Cheyanne Buys scored a one-minute TKO win over Gloria de Paula (see it HERE)
• Jason Witt outlasted welterweight counterpart Bryan Barberena in a wild main card opener that produced one of the best third rounds of all time

• Welterweight power puncher Jared Gooden looked vicious in his first-round knockout finish over German prospect Niklas Stolze
• Former kickboxer Melsik Baghdasaryan impressed in his Octagon debut with a second-round head kick TKO stoppage over Collin Anglin (watch HERE)
• Philip Rowe turned things around in his second UFC appearance with an impressive TKO stoppage over previously undefeated prospect Orion Cosce to spark the “Prelims”

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC Vegas 33 bonus winners below:

• Fight of the Night: Jason Witt vs. Bryan Barberena
• Performance of the Night: Cheyanne Buys
• Performance of the Night: Melsik Baghdasaryan

For complete UFC Vegas 33 results and coverage click here.