Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane Fight for Interim Heavyweight Title Set for UFC 265

Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane will fight for the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 265 on Aug. 7, UFC President Dana White confirmed to Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Francis Ngannou is the promotion's heavyweight champion, but Okamoto reported UFC opted for an interim championship fight because it couldn't line up a June or August bout for the titleholder.

Ngannou reacted to the news:

Marquel Martin, Ngannou's agent, also described the development as a "complete shock."

"To make an interim title so soon, if you look at the history of this division, it comes as a surprise," Martin said. "We hope to get clarity and figure out something with the UFC soon."

Ngannou wasn't the only person asking questions about UFC's decision:

While Ngannou didn't log a ton of time inside the Octagon between 2019 and 2020—three fights lasting a total of 1:57—he just beat Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight belt in March at UFC 260.

By comparison, Miocic fought once a year across 2019, 2020 and 2021, yet UFC opted against staging any interim championship fights.

There's no question Lewis and Gane are deserving of an opportunity to capture the gold. They sit second and third, respectively, in the heavyweight rankings.

Lewis is riding a four-fight winning streak, most recently knocking out Curtis Blaydes in the second round of UFC Fight Night 185 in February. Gane is unbeaten in nine professional fights and earned a unanimous decision over Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 190 on Saturday.

Regardless of their credentials, UFC's perceived treatment of Ngannou is likely to be a storyline surrounding UFC 265.