Jon Jones returned from a three-year hiatus picking up right where he left off with an astonishing heavyweight title win.
Jon Jones added his name to a slew of UFC legends by winning a second divisional title at UFC 285. While some believed Ciryl Gane was the man to hand Jones one of his few setbacks in the Octagon, Jones needed just two minutes to prove he remained the man to beat.
After the UFC stripped Francis Ngannou of the heavyweight championship following a tumultuous contract dispute, Jones and Gane headlined UFC 285 to fight for the then-vacant heavyweight belt. Jones made his heavyweight debut three years after wrapping up his light heavyweight career with a win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
Some wondered if Jones would return to championship form after a three-year absence from the Octagon to rebuild his body for heavyweight. But Jones proved ring rust wasn’t just a myth, but a laughable one after his performance at UFC 285.
Jon Jones needed two minutes to stop Ciryl Gane in heavyweight debut
Jones faced a dangerous striker in Gane and began the fight with a tentative approach on the feet. But Jones didn’t take long to find his rhythm, getting an easy takedown and smothering Gane against the fence.
In a submission that surprised fans and the UFC broadcast team, Jones tapped Gane with a guillotine choke to become the new UFC heavyweight champion. It was a stunning loss for Gane, who fell in his second lineal UFC title shot after a loss to Ngannou in a title unification bout at UFC 270.
Meanwhile, Jones became the UFC’s latest two-division champion by defeating Gane. He went on to defend the heavyweight belt at UFC 309 in November, finishing Stipe Miocic by TKO in his first title defense.
Gane bounced back from the Jones loss to defeat Serghei Spivac in Paris in Sept. 2023. He most recently defeated Alexander Volkov by split decision at UFC 310, overcoming a mid-fight injury to outpoint the talented Russian striker.
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight talks got an odd update this week
Next for Jones is a potential clash with interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. But Jones and his team remain in active negotiations with the UFC brass, and it’s uncertain if the fight will come to fruition.
Aspinall updated fans this week on the status of the Jones fight in a recent YouTube upload. He claimed Jones was responsible for the fight holdup and admitted he’s open to facing another contender if Jones doesn’t sign the dotted line soon.
In the leadup to UFC 309, Jones repeatedly dismissed fighting Aspinall, but his stance changed after a dominant performance against Miocic. A booking against Aspinall would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history.
UFC CEO Dana White dismissed a rumor that Jones asked for $30 million to fight Aspinall. White is open to stripping Jones of the belt if the Aspinall talks don’t progress.
Two years ago, Jones made UFC history with his quick finish of Gane at UFC 285. Now, Jones is in active talks for at least one more fight before bringing his legendary career to an end.