UFC 285: Jon Jones returns, facing Ciryl Gane for heavyweight title

Jones vs Gane – Losing is Not an Option | UFC 285

On Saturday, UFC 285 will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main event being a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane.

Jones returns to the heavyweight division for the first time after sitting out for three years. Despite not fighting since defeating Dominick Reyes in February 2020, analysts said the 35-year-old would dominate over Gane due to his “stature in the sport.”

“I’m ready to dominate, but if I don’t dominate and the fight goes five rounds, I’m ready to press forward, I’m ready for a dog fight,” Jones said during a media conference.

Ahead of the Jones vs. Gane fight, New Zealand’s fighter Israel Adesanya voiced his concerns about Jones’ long absence. According to Adesanya, three years is a long time without any action, and he contends it will affect Jones, especially against a fighter like Gane.

“Three years away from the game is a hard ask for any man just to be away from fighting for that long,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel.

Several analysts predict Jones will exploit Gane’s wrestling after Francis Ngannou out-grappled him at UFC 270, but Adesanya claims Ngannou’s grapple-heavy style caught Gane off guard.

While Jones is regarded as one of the most outstanding fighters, he has frequently been entangled in controversies and incidents that have tarnished his reputation.

In 2015, he was stripped of his light heavyweight title for a hit-and-run involving a pregnant woman. He received a year-long ban after failing a drug test the following year, causing him to be stripped of his interim title.

UFC 285 fight cards

Valentina Shevchenko, the reigning women’s flyweight champion, will maintain her title against No. 6-ranked contender Alexa Grasso.

Rising welterweight fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov will defend his undefeated record against Geoff Neal. Mateusz Gamrot will return to the UFC 285 main card to face Jalin Turner in a lightweight bout.

Meanwhile, Bo Nickal is gearing up to make his promotional debut in a middleweight bout against Jamie Pickett.