UFC 265 Odds, Picks, Preview and How to Bet Lewis vs Gane
- An interim heavyweight title fight headlines UFC 265 in Houston on August 7
- A pivotal welterweight bout between Vicente Luque and Michael Chiesa is also on the card
- See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full UFC 265 main card, below
The UFC returns to Houston, Texas for a sold-out UFC 265 card that features an interim title fight in the main event on August 7. In the main event, fan-favorite Derrick Lewis takes on undefeated Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. Despite Francis Ngannou only winning the belt back in March, he couldn’t come to terms to face Lewis on this date so they turned to an interim title.
The co-main event of UFC 265 sees former featherweight champ and now top-10 bantamweight Jose Aldo taking on Pedro Munhoz. Vicente Luque also takes on Michael Chiesa on the main card, which is a pivotal fight at welterweight.
UFC 265 main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10 PM EDT. The table below shows odds for the main card at DraftKings followed by best bets. Make sure to check out the latest sportsbook promos before placing your bets for UFC 265.
UFC 265 Odds
| Fighter | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Derrick Lewis | +260 |
| Ciryl Gane | -335 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Jose Aldo | -130 |
| Pedro Munhoz | +110 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Vicente Luque | -120 |
| Michael Chiesa | +100 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Tecia Torres | -135 |
| Angela Hill | +115 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Song Yadong | -105 |
| Casey Kenney | -115 |
Odds as of August 2
Does Gane Remain Undefeated?
Ciryl Gane has had an insane path to a UFC title shot as he has only been a pro-MMA fighter since August 2, 2018, and is only 9-0. His first pro fight was for the TKO heavyweight title (a Canadian promotion) and signed to the UFC at 3-0. Yet, he will have his toughest test to date when he faces legit one-punch KO artist, Derrick Lewis who has battled the who’s who of the heavyweight division.
Lewis & Gane Recent Fights
| Curtis Blaydes, win by KO | Fight 1 | Alexander Volkov, win by decision |
| Aleksei Oleinik, win by KO | Fight 2 | Jairzinho Rozenstruik, win by decision |
| Ilir Latifi, win by decision | Fight 3 | Junior dos Santos, win by TKO |
| Blagoy Ivanov, win by split decision | Fight 4 | Tanner Boser, win by decision |
Lewis pulled off one of the bigger upsets of 2021 back in February as he KO’d Curtis Blaydes when he was a +300 underdog. The win should’ve secured him a title shot and a rematch against Francis Ngannou – Lewis beat Ngannou at UFC 226 in 2018 – but that is not the case. Instead, he gets to headline a card in his hometown against Gane who is arguably the most technical striker in the division.
This fight should likely be a kickboxing match as neither Lewis nor Gane are known for their wrestling. Lewis is more known for just trying to find the one shot that lands, while Gane can make it a boring point fight as he did against Rozenstruik. Yet, he is a fast heavyweight and could easily just go in and out on Lewis and jab his way to a win.
Lewis & Gane Stats
| 36 | Age | 31 |
| 6’3″ | Height | 6’4″ |
| 79″ | Reach | 83″ |
| 11 | UFC finishes | 3 |
Early on in the fight, I expect the first round or two to be a feeling-out process as Gane will use leg kicks and his jab to try and not let Lewis get inside and land something big. Lewis also isn’t the most active fighter as instead, he does small explosive outbursts with flying knees and kicks, he is also a good counter striker.
This fight is a hard one to call as we haven’t see Gane face someone like Lewis, and he has rarely gotten hit in the UFC, so it’s hard to know if he has a good chin. Regardless, I believe Gane will be able to stay to the outside and out volume Lewis to a decision win. Lewis is hard to finish, and I don’t think Gane will be searching for it. Instead, he will be able to win on points and remain undefeated. However, at this current price, I wouldn’t lay -335 on Gane in the UFC 265 odds as you have to respect the power of Lewis.
Pick: Ciryl Gane (-335)
Who Wins the Battle of the Brazilians?
Jose Aldo shocked many when he decided to move down to bantamweight back at UFC 245 and since then he has had mixed results. However, he gets a chance to prove he is a top-five bantamweight when he faces Pedro Munhoz.
Aldo & Munhoz Recent Fights
| Marlon Vera, win by decision | Fight 1 | Jimmie Rivera, win by decision |
| Petr Yan, loss by TKO (title fight) | Fight 2 | Frankie Edgar, loss by split decision |
| Marlon Moraes, loss by split decision (bantamweight debut) | Fight 3 | Aljamain Sterling, loss by decision |
| Alexander Volkanovski, loss by decision | Fight 4 | Cody Garbrandt, win by KO |
This should be a phenomenal fight where the winner could very well be a win away from a title shot at bantamweight.
I expect Munhoz to try and grapple Aldo early and see if he can wear him down. However, I like this style matchup for the former UFC champ as he should be able to piece up Munhoz on the feet. Aldo does have to worry about the leg kicks, but I think he’ll be able to check them and counter them. This is a super close fight, but I like Aldo to be able to land the better shots and win a decision. Aldo offers solid value at -130 in the UFC 265 odds.
Pick: Jose Aldo (-130)
Other UFC 265 Picks:
- Vicente Luque (-120): I expect Luque to be able to keep this fight standing and land heavy shots when Chiesa shoots in and piece him up to win a decision or late TKO.
- Tecia Torres (-135): Torres beat Hill back in 2015, and this time around, I expect Torres to mix in her wrestling and striking to outpoint Hill and win a close decision.
- Casey Kenney (-115): Kenney’s teammate, Kyler Phillips, beat Yadong back in March, and I expect it to be similar where Casey uses his grappling and tires out Yadong to win a decision.
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
