UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Preview & Prediction

UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Preview & Prediction

By Cathal Geeney

The highly anticipated return of Jon Jones is almost upon us as he takes on Cyril Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title in the T-Mobile Arena this Saturday night. This comes after reigning champ, Francis Ngannou, could not come to terms with the UFC brass on a new contract and was subsequently released, vacating the strap.

Jones is one of the most talked about fighters in mixed martial arts history. Nobody has been able to achieve what he has achieved in the sport, while simultaneously being involved in so many different controversies. He is the youngest ever champion in UFC history (defeating Maurício Rua aged 23), has made eleven successful title defences against some of the biggest names in the sport and has developed one of the most effective fighting styles in the game. He combines his incredible athleticism with dominant wrestling and a unique, rangy striking style along with exceptional technique.

On the other hand, Jones has never been far from the headlines. He has been arrested multiple times. As recently as 2021 he was banned from his long time gym, Jackson Wink, after an arrest for domestic battery, and has previously been stripped of the title in relation to failed drug tests.

Although many consider Jon Jones the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, there are still a number of question marks around the thirty-five year old for this upcoming bout.

Is he past his peak? His last two fights in the light-heavyweight division were underwhelming, with many arguing that he was fortunate to have his hand raised in both. Some have speculated that he has lost a beat, or perhaps he is no longer relying on other things. A three-year lay off will not have helped his cause.

On top of this, how will his body respond to moving up a weight class? Jones has fought his entire career (apart from his debut) at light-heavyweight. He looks a natural at 205 pounds. This will be a huge test for him going up against a naturally bigger, stronger opponent. Whether Jones body can respond effectively to the jump in weight class remains to be seen.

Cyril Gane should prove to be a very worthy opponent for Jones. Despite an intimidating physique, standing at 6ft 5 in and weighing 245 pounds of what appears to be pure muscle, he is very much a technical fighter. The thirty-two-year-old is light on his feet, constantly bouncing in and out of striking range and firing off shots. So much so that he has been referred to as the heavyweight Wonderboy. This may be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but there have been very few, if any, heavyweight fighters who have shown the same level of movement as Bon Gamin.

Primarily from a southpaw stance, but often switching to orthodox, Gane’s striking output is very impressive. He picks his moments to explode with a flurry of big shots while also constantly firing off punches and kicks to the legs, body, and head. The pressure and output of Gane has proven too much for all his opponents to date, that is apart from Ngannou.

This will be Gane’s second crack at the undisputed heavyweight title, having come up short when he fought Ngannou back in January of 2022. The manner of the defeat will be of particular concern as Bon Gamin was taken down four times out of five attempts by Francis. The wrestling pedigree of Jones will be far superior to anything Cyril has faced before. Perhaps the takedown attempts caught him off guard against a striker like Ngannou. But if Gane does not address this major hole in his game, then this could turn in to a very long night against one of the greatest to ever do it.

Prediction:

There is so much to speculate about going into this fight. Will we see the Jon Jones of old? The fighter who has looked invincible at times and has never been defeated inside the octagon (that is apart from a disqualification for an illegal strike).

And for Gane, is his striking as elite as many believe? And can he repel the takedown attempts of his opponent?

I believe Gane will in fact be able to rely on his naturally larger frame to resist the grappling advances of Jones and I don’t see the Frenchman being intimidated by his striking either. I foresee Gane finding his rhythm and controlling the fight in what will most likely be a close decision victory.

Cyril Gane

Photo Credit: Zuffa/UFC