'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
UFC 265 looked like a good event on paper, and in the end it turned out to be a truly excellent show packed with exciting fights.
With a number of violent finishes on offer, UFC 265 was certainly not short on explosive moments, making it one of the more memorable events of 2021.
So which explosive moments from UFC 265 stood out above all the others? There were plenty to choose from after all.
With that considered, here are the five most explosive moments from UFC 265: Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane.
#5 Alonzo Menifield’s brutal leg kick buckles longtime UFC veteran Ed Herman
The hype around light-heavyweight prospect Alonzo Menifield evaporated a long time ago thanks to his losses to Devin Clark and Ovince St. Preux, so most fans were overlooking his clash with longtime UFC veteran Ed Herman last night.
However, Menifield treated the fans in attendance to probably his most impressive performance in the UFC to date. Despite Herman showing remarkable durability, Menifield used his power striking to beat ‘Short Fuse’ up for three rounds, eventually winning a clear decision.
Menifield looked like he was about to finish Herman in the second round, as he opened up on him with a truly vicious flurry that had him badly wobbled. Quite how the TUF 3 veteran survived the barrage is anyone’s guess.
The most explosive moment came in the round’s dying seconds, though. With his lead leg already badly compromised, Herman ate a pair of brutal leg kicks from Menifield – the second of which dropped him face-first.
It was an unbelievably nasty shot and had there been more time left in the round, Menifield may well have picked up a stoppage. The fact that Herman survived another round only stood to emphasise the veteran’s sheer toughness and heart – something that’s allowed him to remain in the UFC after 15 years.
However, even though Menifield didn’t earn a TKO, the sheer brutality of his striking last night earns him a spot on this list of explosive moments. Perhaps now he’s a man worth watching again.
#4 Vicente Luque snatches victory from the jaws of defeat
The welterweight tilt between contenders Vicente Luque and Michael Chiesa was arguably UFC 265’s second-most anticipated bout, and it didn’t fail to live up to expectations. Despite lasting just over three minutes, this was an awesome fight.
Even more awesome was the way that Luque managed to pull out a win. After being taken down by Chiesa in the early going, ‘The Silent Assassin’ appeared to be in a lot of trouble.
‘Maverick’ took his back, and while Luque defended the position well, it seemed like only a matter of time before he would be tapping out. Within moments, the Brazilian was forced to defend a variety of chokes.
But when Chiesa switched to an armbar attempt, Luque slipped free – and then turned the tide by suddenly latching onto his favourite submission, the D’Arce. Chiesa immediately tried to pull free, but it was too late.
‘The Silent Assassin’ flipped onto his back, tightened up the choke, and with Chiesa’s face turning purple, he was forced to submit – giving Luque his fourth win in a row in the process.
Luque is almost certainly a high-level UFC welterweight title contender now, but the most impressive thing about this win was the sudden way in which he latched onto the D’Arce. It was an example of how submissions, when they’re done well, can be just as explosive as a knockout.
#3 Ciryl Gane wins UFC gold with his violent stoppage of Derrick Lewis
Ciryl Gane was undoubtedly UFC 265’s biggest winner, as he claimed the interim UFC heavyweight title by stopping Derrick Lewis in the third round.
However, ‘Bon Gamin’ didn’t pick up one of the two most explosive finishes of the night, despite finishing Lewis off with some extreme violence.
Still, nobody could complain about the way that the main event finished. Lewis looked outclassed from the off in this fight, barely able to land a strike on Gane, who once again showed plenty of patience and a masterful grasp of range inside the octagon.
The end came once Gane had ‘The Black Beast’ hurt with leg kicks in the third round. Lewis already looked tired at that point, and simply couldn’t mask the pain any more. He stumbled backwards into the fence, allowing Gane to open up with a flurry, looking for a finish.
The crowd seemed to believe that Lewis could still win – and he did try, winging a couple of haymakers at his French opponent. They didn’t land, though, and Gane continued to pour it on, eventually forcing Lewis to collapse to his knees.
Moments later, the fight was over.
This wasn’t a classic one-punch knockout from Gane by any means, but it was an explosive finish and arguably stands as the most impressive way any fighter has dealt with Derrick Lewis inside the UFC octagon.
#2 Manel Kape scores his first UFC win in style with a flying knee
Flyweight Manel Kape missed weight by a stunning 4lbs for his clash with Ode Osbourne, meaning he wasn’t eligible for one of UFC 265’s $50k bonus cheques. He probably regrets that error more than ever this morning, as he undoubtedly scored one of the night’s most explosive finishes.
Looking for his first UFC win after two straight losses, the former Rizin star wasted little time in dealing with Osbourne, who was doing some good work of his own early in the first round.
When Osbourne charged forward after cutting Kape, though, he made the major error of leaving himself slightly open. And ‘Starboy’ took full advantage. seemingly launching through the air before landing a flying knee that knocked Osbourne silly.
‘The Jamaican Sensation’ did come around pretty quickly, claiming an early stoppage, but realistically the fight was definitely over and marked a good stoppage from referee Jeff Rexroad.
We’ve seen numerous flying knee finishes in the UFC over the years and they’re always incredibly explosive. Unsurprisingly, this one was no exception.
#1 Miles Johns scores a knockout to remember over Anderson dos Santos
When UFC 265’s $50k bonus awards were announced, the promotion surprised everyone by giving out four "performance of the night" cheques. Less surprising was the fact that one went to Miles Johns.
The bantamweight prospect – who is now 3-1 in the UFC – took Anderson dos Santos apart, and ended things with what was almost certainly the most explosive finish of the night.
Dos Santos was never really in the fight at all. Johns worked him over from the off with his superior striking game, beating up his legs with low kicks, hammering him with heavy punches and combinations. He clearly won the first two rounds.
But if fans thought ‘Chapo’ would be willing to cruise to a decision, they were thankfully mistaken. Just over a minute into the third round, he landed a left hook to the body and followed with an overhand right that knocked the Brazilian clean out.
Dos Santos fell to the ground in an exaggerated way – largely because he was as stiff as a corpse – and just like that Johns had picked up one of the best knockouts of 2021.
‘Chapo’ will find it hard to climb to the top of such a loaded division, there’s no disputing that. But if he can continue to fight in this manner, he’ll have a spot on the UFC’s roster probably for as long as he wants it.
