Jon Jones will answer many questions at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023, in his Heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane.
The consensus greatest Light Heavyweight of all time has been out of action for three years, planning his eventual divisional move. Finally, it comes to fruition, but the once vastly superior “Bones” showed somewhat of a regression before his hiatus in the minds of some in the community.
For longtime UFC commentator, Joe Rogan, Jones has his work cut out for him against a unique striker Gane’s caliber.
“For Jon, it’s gonna be, ‘Can Jon take him down?’” Rogan said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “How does Jone perform at Heavyweight? Can Jon close the distance? Is he as fast? What is the three years off like? Is he hungrier and even better because he’s fired up and y’all must have forgot? Like, he’s got that mindset?
“It’s also his first fight at Heavyweight,” he continued. “We really don’t know how he’s gonna respond when he gets hit by a big Heavyweight. We don’t know anything. Jon is older now — a lot of partying. Jon parties. I don’t know what he’s been doing. Maybe he’s been living clean over the last few years, I don’t know.”
While Jones was originally targeting a big title tilt with the now-former champion, Francis Ngannou, and negotiating to get paid his worth, he also wanted to transform his physique for Heavyweight. Jones recently shared he achieved his goal roughly around Oct. 2022 and has been training with Henry Cejudo and the Fight Ready team in Scottsdale, Arizona in preparation for the return.
“One thing he’s done right is put that weight on slowly,” Rogan said. “That’s the one thing he’s done right because he’s got accustomed to being 255 pounds and walking around real big and heavy and he looks real big and heavy. He looks like a Heavyweight. He doesn’t look like a Light Heavyweight that gained weight. He looks like a f—king Heavyweight.”