UFC 285 in Las Vegas, Jon Jones defeated Ciryl Gane through submission with ease in the first round ending a three-year hiatus from the UFC, Jon Jones made a comeback to the Octagon by moving up to the heavyweight division.
One of the best UFC fighters ever, Jones has moved up to the top weight division since his comeback, and it only took him a little under a minute to submit Gane in the opening frame.
A guillotine choke by the 35-year-old at 2:04 sealed the victory.
While this was Jones’ first fight in the heavyweight class and his first in three years, he took his time walking into the octagon to play to the sold-out crowd. The former light heavyweight champion stated that it was crucial for him to firmly establish in his mind that he was deserving of the title of greatest-ever.
There were uncertainties on how the break would affect Jones. On February 8, 2020, he defeated Dominick Reyes in his final match through unanimous decision.
On Saturday, Jones wasn’t permitted into the Octagon until the tape on his foot was cut off, meaning Jones’ entrance into the cage took longer than the entire bout. After suffering serious damage to it during a previous battle, Jones had tape applied to his toe and foot.
The action began as soon as he entered the ring and ended inside the first seven seconds of the fight. The fight quickly continued when Gane unintentionally delivered a low blow, and Jones quickly recovered. The bout quickly went to the ground after that thanks to Jones. Bon Gamin threw a punch, which Jones deflected. He then went for a clinch, dragging Gane to the ground.
He used his strength to force Gane up against the cage, and after a short period of time, he was able to apply a guillotine choke. Gane was forced to tap within a short period of time since the hold was so strong.
Jones is prepared for a rapid turnaround and called out Stipe Miocic after sustaining only the low blow throughout the battle.
“I had to show up and get (Gane) down to the ground. I’ve been wrestling since I was 12-years-old. I feel stronger than ever. Once I got him in my hands, I knew I could take control,” Jones said.
Jones, who has gone undefeated in 19 fights and has dubbed Stipe Miocic the greatest heavyweight in history, is eyeing him as his next opponent. Miocic is the second-ranked contender.
Jones stated that Miocic is his only priority while White stated that the fight will happen but did not know when it would.
Jones continued, “My whole world is going to be focused on him. This is the biggest opportunity of my life, to beat the heavyweight GOAT. I am going to give it everything I have got. I am not only going to beat Stipe Miocic, I am going to finish Stipe Miocic!”
Frenchman Gane, 32, who once held the top spot among heavyweight contenders, is now 11-2.
Regarding the defeat, Gane offered no apologies, he remarked, “Disappointed, of course, but the biggest feeling is anger about myself. Really angry. Because yes, we accepted this fight, it was not short-notice, but the time was not too long, but we worked a lot, we spent a lot of time. We trained with my sparring partners, so I’m really angry about myself because I spent a lot of time with my partners, my coaches, my family, and it [wasn’t reflected] during the fight. So I’m really angry.”
