White: Jones Vs. Gane Official For UFC 285

It has taken over 1,000 days for Jon Jones to book his official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight debut, but “Bones” has officially signed on to fight Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on March 4 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

News broke earlier today about a potential clash between Jones and Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title after a soon-to-be-fired employee leaked a fight banner outside of T-Mobile Arena. More information came in shortly after from an interview with Jones himself, who confirmed he was in fact fighting Gane for the heavyweight strap in “just a few weeks.”

At UFC Vegas 67’s post-fight presser Saturday night (watch HERE), UFC president Dana White confirmed the heavyweight matchup with reporters. In addition, White revealed that current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou would be stripped of his title and released from the promotion, clearing the way for Jones vs. Gane at UFC 285.

Jones, 35, has been sidelined since a successful UFC light heavyweight title defense over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 all the way back in 2020. “Bones” has been plotting his heavyweight takeover ever since, but legal issues and contract woes have prohibited the MMA legend from returning. He’ll immediately jump back into a UFC title fight and try to cement his legacy as the greatest fighter of all time.

Gane, 32, is coming off a knockout victory over Tai Tuivasa back at UFC Paris this past September. Before that, Gane lost his first-ever UFC heavyweight title shot against Ngannou at UFC 270. If Gane is able to defeat Jones in his return to the Octagon it will instantly make him a household name and one of the biggest stars in the sport.

Stick with Mania for more UFC 285 fight card news and updates.