The interim heavyweight championship of the world is on the line at UFC 265 on Saturday night from Houston as American Derrick Lewis battles France’s Ciryl Gane. The winner would next get a shot at true champion Francis Ngannou. Who will win the ticket to take on the Nigerian monster?

That being said, Nitrobetting takes your MMA betting experiences to the next level with our previews. Get to know more about the event and the fighters, the latest UFC odds, important betting trends, and expert betting predictions that help you lock in on the best picks. Don’t forget to check out the rest of MMA odds and lines at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

UFC 265 Event Info

The BIG boys set to close out the show in Houston ?

[ #UFC265 | Saturday | LIVE on E+ PPV: https://t.co/s0hnQ0rnOT ] pic.twitter.com/clkABpbF1f

— UFC (@ufc) August 5, 2021

• When: Saturday, 10 PM ET (main card)
• Where: Toyota Center, Houston
• TV: Pay-per-view
• Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass

READ MORE: Cannonier vs. Gastelum UFC Vegas 34 Odds and Preview

Fighter	Odds	Fighter	Odds
Derrick Lewis	+282	Ciryl Gane	-400
José Aldo	-125	Pedro Munhoz	-101
Michael Chiesa	-105	Vicente Luque	-120
Tecia Torres	-147	Angela Hill	+117
Song Yadong	-104	Casey kenney	-120

Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane Preview

The UFC’s original play was for Ngannou to fight Lewis, but Ngannou’s management team didn’t think it was fair for him to have to fight so soon after winning the title with a second-round knockout over former champion Stipe Miocic in late March. UFC president Dana White countered that the company believed Lewis and Gane were deserving of a title shot now. “This comes as a complete shock,” Ngannou’s agent said when this fight was booked in late June. “To make an interim title so soon, if you look at the history of this division, it comes as a surprise.”

Why Bet on Derrick Lewis

• UFC 265 Odds: +289

It should be noted that “The Black Beast” already got one shot at Ngannou and upset “the Predator” by unanimous decision in July 2018 at UFC 226. Ngannou hasn’t lost since. The 36-year-old Lewis is from Houston and is 25-7 in his career with one no contest. The UFC ranks him No. 2 in the division and Lewis enters on a four-fight winning streak, last in the Octagon in February and beating Curtis Blaydes by second-round knockout (punch) – 20 of Lewis’ 25 wins are by knockout or TKO. Four of his seven losses are via that route. A win over Gane would mean Lewis has beaten six of the Top 11 in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings, plus the champion in Ngannou. If Lewis wins this by knockout, his 21 such victories would be the record for most KO/TKOs in UFC history.

Why Bet on Ciryl Gane?

• UFC 265 Odds: -400

Gane, 31, is 9-0 in a professional career that only began three years ago – he once was a teammate of Ngannou. “Bon Gamin” comes off a June unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkov. Gane has three wins by KO/TKO, three by submission and three by decision. He will have a two-inch reach advantage over Lewis.

UFC 265 Expert Betting Predictions

This is a close fight to call, but looking at Strickland’s record against unorthodox fighters, Hall might find the opportunity to execute the knockout punch. After building up his confidence against Anderson Silva, ‘Prime Time’ gets a good chance at winning this fight. On the other hand, Strickland brings a lot to the table as well in terms of beating Hall on paper, making it tough to pick a clear-cut winner. But since Strickland is the hotter of the two, he gets a slight advantage here.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.