Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will return after a 25-month hiatus against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, UFC President Dana White announced.
The bout will take place on March 4 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. What makes this announcement very unique is it comes after the UFC was unable to come to terms with the now former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou due to a difference in money.
Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane, #UFC285, pour le titre heavyweight it’s on 👑 pic.twitter.com/GLTFdhFA8Q
— La Sueur (@LaSueur_off) January 14, 2023
It will mark Jones’ first appearance in the UFC since February 2020, when he defended his light heavyweight title for the third time after winning it a second time against Dominick Reyes.
Jones vacated his belt shortly after that fight and immediately teased a pending move up to heavyweight and two years later that move becomes a reality.
On top of locking down another title fight to add to his resume, Jones signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC, Dana White announced.
The contract extension comes off of a September 2021, Jones was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery violence and injuring or tampering with a vehicle. Jones was in Las Vegas to accept a UFC Hall of Fame Award for his first bout with Alexander Gustafsson, Dana White has been on record saying that Las Vegas is “not good for Jon.”
The domestic battery charge was eventually dropped and Jones pleaded guilty to misdemeanor destruction of property. The result was Jones was ordered to pay $750 in restitution, attend anger management therapy, and was given a court order to stay out of any and all legal trouble.
Gane is a former interim heavyweight champion. He won that title by knocking out Derrick Lewis in August 2021 at UFC 265. He attempted to unify the belt against Ngannou in January 2022 and came up just short in a five-round decision loss. In his most recent appearance, he knocked out Tai Tuivasa in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in September.
It has long been speculated that both Jones and Gane would be a perfect match for each other. Jones was always a unique light heavyweight with his style and the same can be said for Gane at heavyweight.
Worth noting, UFC 285 already has other notable bouts that include:
– Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
– Amanda Ribas vs. Viviane Araujo
– Cody Garbrandt vs. Julio Arce
– Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
