![UFC 265 winners: Jose Aldo, Vicente Luque, and Ciryl Gane [Photo via @ufc on Twitter and Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/2a241-16285137326951-800.jpg)
![UFC 265 winners: Jose Aldo, Vicente Luque, and Ciryl Gane [Photo via @ufc on Twitter and Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%205.625'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%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)
Ciryl Gane has emerged as the new interim UFC heavyweight champion after his tremendous performance at UFC 265. The Frenchman put his unwavering discipline on display as he picked hometown hero Derrick Lewis apart before finishing him off in the third round of the main event.
With Gane cementing his status as the far-and-away biggest threat against Francis Ngannou's title reign, the UFC heavyweight title scene is now as interesting as ever. Considering that Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are also waiting in the wings, multiple marquee matchups are lined up for the division in the months to come.
Beyond the main event, there are several developments that took shape at the recently-concluded pay-per-view show. What mattered most during last Saturday's event? Find out as we discuss five important things we learned from UFC 265.
#5. Rafael Fiziev displays his potential at UFC 265
![UFC 265: Rafael Fiziev vs. Bobby Green [Photo via @UFCEurope on Twitter]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/a325f-16285041122695-800.jpg)
Controversial decisions aside, Rafael Fiziev lived up to the hype by outperforming veteran Bobby Green in a technical striking battle. The Kyrgyzstani fighter earned his fourth win in a row since sustaining his first career loss during his UFC debut.
'Ataman' utilized a combination of body kicks and crisp power punches to keep 'King' Green at bay in the first two rounds. The American started to pick up the tempo in the final round, but his late surge proved a little too late.
Nonetheless, Green vs. Fiziev was well-received by observers and awarded the 'Fight of the Night' honors. Take note, this bout took place on the preliminary card of UFC 265. This is only another testament to the UFC's embarrassment of riches, particularly in the lightweight division.
Right now, though, it's unclear what the next step is for the rapidly-rising star. But if former title challenger Michael Chandler is to be believed, Fiziev is poised to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, Valentina Shevchenko, as the next striking dynamo from Kyrgyzstan to win UFC gold.
#4. UFC 265 is proof that Jose Aldo still has it
Is age really just a number? At UFC 265, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo proved there may just be some truth behind the cliche.
The legendary Brazilian appeared for his 37th pro-MMA fight and his 18th UFC outing. A pro-fighter since 2004, Aldo has been competing for 17 long years and counting.
What's even more impressive is that Aldo, who's now 34-years-old, is still mixing it up with the UFC's elite at this stage in his career. Granted, Aldo is 5-5 in his last 10 fights but his losses came against the best of the best.
He lost to Max Holloway twice, dropped back-to-back decisions against Alexander Volkanovski and Marlon Moraes, and succumbed to Petr Yan in a title fight. Still, Aldo has nothing to be ashamed of given the level of competition he has to deal with at his age.
Granted, Aldo capturing the bantamweight title is probably a long shot at best. But as he continues to put on winning performances like he did at UFC 265, it's unwise to count him out as a legitimate threat at the 135-pound division.
#3. UFC 265 is a reminder to never sleep on Vicente Luque
![Vicente Luque chokes out Michael Chiesa [Photo via @luquevicente on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/786c9-16285082815506-800.jpg)
Vicente Luque is regarded by many hardcore MMA fans as one of the most underrated fighters in the sport. But as his finishes pile on, the Brazilian contender should be a massive blip on the radar rather than flying low under it.
'The Silent Assassin' is the perfect monicker to encapsulate Luque's personality and fighting style. Unlike his fellow welterweight stars Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns, Luque doesn't play up a persona to promote his fights or make many flashy moves in the octagon.
But what Luque does so well, time and again, is get the job done come fight night. Like a stealthy hitman, he then fades into obscurity, only to reappear when he's about to whack another target.
After Luque's impressive win over Michael Chiesa on the main card of UFC 265, he decided to stay silent no more. The welterweight standout called out the biggest dog in the yard, Karamu Usman, who made it known that the message was received.
#2. Derrick Lewis reached his ceiling at UFC 265
UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis was never really a well-rounded fighter like some of his contemporaries. Just the same, 'The Black Beast' literally punched his way to the top of the heavyweight division, earning an opportunity to become an interim champion.
The Texas native really only has one weapon in his arsenal: the knockout punch. Some call him a one-trick pony, while others call him a KO artist.
Nonetheless, it appears that this is as far as Lewis goes. He remains one of the best heavyweights on the roster, but his limitations prevent him from breaking through the glass ceiling. A technical master like Ciryl Gane was a bad matchup for him, and it's no surprise that Derrick Lewis' flaws were utterly exposed at UFC 265.
Granted, Derrick Lewis is one of only two men to have beaten reigning champion Francis Ngannou. However, his unanimous decision victory over 'The Predator' isn't the most convincing way to win an MMA fight, to say the least.
Moreover, Ngannou has drastically evolved since then. The current version of Ngannou is nowhere near the meek and hesitant fighter that met Lewis at UFC 226. Should a rematch between Ngannou and Lewis take place, a repeat performance for 'The Black Beast' is highly doubtful.
#1. Ciryl Gane will be a problem for Francis Ngannou
Ciryl Gane's striking clinic against Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 265 is the definition of outclassing an opponent. The Frenchman landed 116 strikes while only receiving 12 over the course of three rounds. That's the closest any fighter can ever get to a perfect game, if there even is one.
The implication of Gane's interim title win, of course, is that he'll fight Francis Ngannou down the line for a heavyweight unification bout. Although that isn't always the case – just ask Tony Ferguson – a Gane-Ngannou collision is imminent.
And for the newly-crowned, undisputed champion, that's not good news at all. As dominant as Ngannou has been over his last few outings, Gane has the perfect tools to neutralize the heavyweight champ.
'Bon Gamin' gets criticized for being a "boring fighter." Whether or not that's true is in the eye of the beholder. What no opinion can change, however, is that Gane is really great at fighting on his own terms, while preventing his opponents from implementing their gameplans.
Not to mention that Gane is well-acquainted with Ngannou due to their history as former training partners. Adding those factors together, Gane might just end Ngannou's reign in the UFC before it has even begun.
