Fans are less than a month away from seeing a new and improved Jon Jones inside the Octagon.
The former light heavyweight champion will make his first walk to the cage in over three years on March 4 when he headlines UFC 285 against No. 1 ranked heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane. The pair will battle it out to become the new UFC heavyweight champion after former titleholder Francis Ngannou took his ball and went home.
Ever since ‘Bones’ announced his move to heavyweight in August 2020, fans have been chomping at the bit to see what he can do in the promotion’s heaviest weight class. In just a matter of weeks, fans will get their first glimpse. Ahead of his highly anticipated return to action, Jon Jones detailed his body transformation over the last few years which included putting on 40 pounds of muscle.
“One of the hardest things was not being able to lose my shape while still trying to pack on 40 pounds,” Jones said during a Twitter Spaces with Kanpai Pandas. “I think when the fans see me, they’ll be surprised that I still look a lot like I used to — [although] my shoulders are a lot more broader, I freaking gained a whole bunch of ass, unfortunately — but just trying to keep that shape and doing it the right way” (h/t MMA Fighting).
Jon Jones (@JonnyBones) is looking big
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— Combat Sports UK (@CombatSportsUK) February 1, 2023
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Jon Jones Eyeing Long-Rumored Showdown With Stipe Miocic After UFC 285
Jon Jones knows that Ciryl Gane is not a man you want to look past, but ‘Bones’ admitted that he is looking forward to cementing his legacy against the general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic once he takes care of business at UFC 285.
“I’ve got my sights on Stipe Miocic,” Jones said. “I think it just means the most. There’s a lot of guys out there, but for me, personally, for my legacy, to defeat the greatest heavyweight of all-time, it just means the most to me. As far as how soon, hopefully I get out of this fight with no serious injuries, but I’d let to get [back] out there as soon as possible. My goal is anywhere from two to three fights depending on how it looks.”
The pair have been linked together as recently as late last year when rumors began to swirl that the UFC was attempting to book a showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 282 in December. Of course, the fight never materialized, but it appears that Miocic is game for a UFC heavyweight title fight against the winner of UFC 285’s main event next month.
“March 4th – I like it. I got winner in July” Miocic wrote on Twitter.