Jon Jones finally has a date and an opponent for his heavyweight debut – and the best heavyweight in the world is no longer a UFC fighter.
Jones, 35, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA and the most decorated light heavyweight champion in UFC history, will face one-time title challenger Ciryl Gane in the main event on March 4 for the UFC UFC 285 heavyweight title. UFC President Dana White announced the news at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 67 post-fight press conference.
The news means UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has vacated his title and is now a free agent, White said. Ngannou clinched his title in 2021 with a KO over Stipe Miocic and defended it in January 2022 with a hard-fought decision over Gane. He has since been sidelined while rehabilitating a knee injury, but he will now find a new home as one of the most desirable free agents to hit the open market in MMA history.
Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters to ever compete. A two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, Jones amassed 11 title defenses from 2011-11, defeating a number of all-time greats including Daniel Cormier, Glover Teixeira, Maurício Rua, Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, and more.
“Bones” has been on hiatus since vacating his 205-pound belt title from an eventual promotion to heavyweight in early 2020. The 6-foot-4 American has been playing a heavyweight train publicly for more than a decade, but has eventually committed to reshaping his physique, gaining weight to more than 255 pounds in recent years.
Despite his successful results in the cage, “Bones” has been embroiled in many controversies both in and out of competition, including a household battery case in late 2021 that stemmed from an alleged incident in Las Vegas after his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame at his UFC 165 -Fight with Alexander Gustafsson.
Gane (11-1) is MMA Fighting’s #2 heavyweight in the world. The 32-year-old Frenchman has won eight of his nine UFC games, including a wild third-round knockout over Tai Tuivasa in his last appearance last September. Gane’s only UFC loss came in a unanimous decision against Ngannou in his first UFC title fight.
UFC 285 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.