Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane 

UFC 285 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events of 2023. It will be hard to find a fight more significant than UFC 285’s main event given the long-awaited return of one of the UFC’s most talented fighters: Jon “Bones” Jones.

Jones has had his fair share of trouble with the UFC in the past few years. In his ten-plus years in the league, he has been suspended three separate times for using performance enhancing drugs. Finally, the former Light-heavyweight champion has cleaned up his act and will face off in the ring for the first time since Feb. 8, 2020. 

The main event of UFC 285 features the return of Jon Jones (26-1) versus the number one ranked heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane (11-1). 

Statistically, Jones is one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen as he currently holds nine records in the light-heavyweight division. On top of that, Jones holds the record for most title defenses at 14 During his dominant reign from 2008-2020, Jones has taken care of business against UFC elites in Hall of Fame fighters Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith. While Jones was dominant during his time in the light-heavyweight division, I worry about how he will adjust to moving up to the heavyweight division along with his three-year hiatus from the league.

When Jones enters the ring, something special almost always follows. Jones’ fighting style is some of the most intelligent and skillful styles seen in the UFC. Jones matches up well with Gane, holding a three-inch reach advantage, as well as weighing significantly less which will allow Jones to be more agile. This reach advantage will be a huge part of Jones’ strategy as he throws a fair amount of jabs when fighting. Jones also does an incredible job of controlling an opponent’s wrist which opens up opportunities for his signature spinning back elbows he loves to throw. I’m curious to see if Jones will decide to try and take the fight to the ground as Gane is not very experienced in wrestling. 

With all the amazing skills Jones possesses, Cyril Gane is no ordinary fighter. The French contender is relatively new to the UFC, having his first fight in 2019. Although new, Gane has ripped through some of the toughest competition in the Heavyweight division, only suffering one loss to former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. One of Gane’s most impressive skills is his footwork and ability to create space; he combines a series of hop steps to get away from an opponent or to cut space and land a punch. Combine his beautiful footwork with his ability to push the pace of a fight and I do not think Jones knows what he is in for. 

With all the good things that come with Ciryl Gane, I spot a few flaws that Jones may be able to take advantage of. Firstly, when in an exchange, Gane tends to leave his chin exposed leading to his opponent having an open shot. Gane has gotten away with this so far because he has not really fought a prolific striker. Sure, he has gone up against some  heaviest hitters like  Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou, but those fighters can be one-dimensional, something Jones certainly is not. 

When looking at the fight from the big picture, I think it is easy to get lost in how good Jones has been in previous fights. Although incredibly talented, I see Gane being too much for Jon Jones and predict the fight goes the distance with Gane winning by unanimous decision. However, anything is possible, all it takes is one good punch from Jones and this could be over early. 

UFC 285 will kick off on Sat., Mar. 4 and has an incredible amount of talented fighters ready to showcase their skills.