UFC 285 promises to be one of the most special cards of the year. Celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the UFC is not holding back on any of the cards this year. As such, with UFC 285, we will witness the return of Jon Jones.
Teasing a move since 2020, Jones will finally make his heavyweight debut. Taking on the former interim champ Ciryl Gane, Jones will fight for the vacant heavyweight title in his first fight in more than 3 years. As such, the fight is a heavily anticipated one and fans cannot wait for the two to step inside the Octagon on March 4.
THE WORLD WILL BE WATCHING 👑🌎
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— UFC (@ufc) February 15, 2023
Aside from Jones and Gane, we will see Valentina Shevchenko take on the #4 ranked UFC women’s flyweight contender Alexa Grasso in the co-main event of the evening. Moreover, we will also see Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov, Mateusz Gamrot vs Jalin Turner, and Bo Nickal vs Jamie Pickett in the main card.
As for the fight, Jones is coming in with 4 straight wins. Whilst not all of them were convincing, Jones has a habit of digging deep and fighting tooth and nail to get the victory. On the other hand, Gane is coming off a loss and a win in his last two fights but has been very consistent in his performances throughout his UFC tenure.
UFC 285: Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane stats
| Stats | Jon Jones | Ciryl Gane |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 26 | 11 |
| Losses | 1 | 1 |
| Height | 1.93 m | 1.93 m |
| Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 2.15m | 2.06 m |
| Age | 35 | 32 |
Jones vs Gane: fight breakdown and early prediction
Coming into the fight we see that both athletes stand at 1.93m, however, Jones comes in with a 9-inch reach advantage. With Jones making his first heavyweight appearance, he is reportedly set to come in at around 250 lbs for the fight. On the other hand, fans can expect Bon Gamin to come in slightly lighter, at 247 lbs, the same as he did at UFC Paris against Tai Tuivasa.
Ahead of the fight, we have seen a lot of talk from Jonny Bones, talking about his newfound power. Despite the move up, Jones believes that he will take to the division like a duck to water. As such, he believes that he possesses the power to knockout Gane and stand toe to toe with any heavyweight in the division.
Similarly, we have also seen a change in attitude from Jones as well. As such, he seems a lot nicer, and calmer coming into the fight. Against him, we have the French sensation, Ciryl Gane, who is arguably the best in the division following Francis Ngannou’s departure. In his last outing, Gane put on a masterclass against Tai Tuivasa and fully deserves a second shot at the title.
However, we have seen a little less from Gane in the grappling and wrestling department, somewhere Jones thrives. As such, Gane needs to make significant improvements from his performance against Ngannou at UFC 270. Coming in as a favorite, it is understandable why many are picking Jones to win this one. A very potent striker with devastating ground and submission game, Jones should be able to take this one.
