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Still expected to make his long-awaited move to the UFC’s heavyweight ranks next year, former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones has been showered with plaudits from incoming interim heavyweight championship challenger, Ciryl Gane — who claims the Rochester native could be “great” a division higher.

Vacating the light heavyweight championship in August of last year, Jackson-Wink MMA staple, Jones was expected to finally follow through with plans to make a much-anticipated leap to the UFC’s heavyweight ranks, however, ongoing negotiation mishaps with the promotion has halted those plans.

Following current heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou’s title-clinching knockout win over Stipe Miocic back in March at UFC 260, all roads seemed to point toward an immediate title clash between Ngannou and divisional climber, Jones. 

However, UFC president, Dana White remained coy about the pairing, questioning if Jones actually wanted to fight Ngannou following the Cameroonian’s devastating knockout victory — with the pair involved in some rather public negotiation fallouts as a result.

Over the course of the summer, White outlined the surging, #2 ranked, Derrick Lewis as the challenger to Ngannou’s throne, however, plans to pit the two together in a rematch hit the rocks when the latter noted scheduling conflicts, preventing a UFC 265 title bout on August 7.

As a result, the organization introduced an interim heavyweight title, with prolific knockout artist, Lewis slated to headline the Toyota Centre event in Houston, Texas against undefeated French standout, Gane. 

With Jones’ move to the heavyweight ranks unlikely to occur this year, Gane spoke with LowKickMMA reporter, Maria Morales ahead of his interim title showing against Lewis, and revealed that he believes Jones’ fight IQ, physicality and athleticism can benefit him when he eventually makes the division leap.

“I don’t know exactly, I don’t know what’s going to happen with Jon Jones,” Gane said. “But everybody knows that he’s the G.O.A.T in the light heavyweight (division), that’s (for) sure. I don’t know if he fought in the heavyweight division in his career… I don’t know exactly but I think he has a good fight IQ. (His) physicality is really good, everybody knows that so I think he can do something really great (at heavyweight). 

“He’s tall, so now he’s even more heavy,” Gane continued. “It’s new for him, but he improved with his weight. Tomorrow, if I fight with Jon Jones — it’s going to be a really technical fight.“

Challenging for interim UFC heavyweight spoils on August 7. at UFC 265 — the #3 ranked heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane has claimed that a stoppage victory over one-time undisputed title challenger and incoming foe, Derrick Lewis is “possible” — given the statistics surrounding Lewis’ fights, particularly how the majority of them seem to end before the final klaxon.

Headlining UFC 265 from the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas, French standout, Gane takes main event status against Lewis — with the pair rounding out a card that also features a bantamweight championship tussle between two-weight gold holder, Amanda Nunes and The Ultimate Fighter 18 victor, Julianna Pena. 

Set for his third outing of the year, Gane most recently featured in the main event of UFC Vegas 30 in June where he took home a unanimous decision victory over former Bellator and M1-Global gold holder, striking ace, Alexander Volkov. The victory extended Gane’s winning spree to nine consecutive fights from nine professional outings.

Matching with Lewis, who is the most prolific heavyweight knockout artist in the promotion’s history — 29-year-old all-rounder, Gane has claimed that given the fact that more often than not, Lewis’ bout’s don’t require the inclusion of Octagon-side judges — a stoppage victory for him his “possible“.

“What I want? I want to finish the fight before the end (of the fifth round),” Gane said during a recent interview with LowKickMMA reporter, Maria Morales. “This is my mission — and I think it is possible. I think it’s possible ’cause when you look at the statistics with Derrick Lewis (fights), you know, every fight — even if he wins or he loses, the fight finish before the end.“

Gane explained how he hopes to lodge some noteworthy statistics against Lewis, in the form of pressure and a heavy volume output.

“So, I’m gonna make a (sic) pressure, I’m gonna make some punches, a lot of — I’m gonna make a good statistic. Yes, I hope I’m gonna finish before the end if I win, yeah. This is my prediction.“

Between both Gane and Lewis, the pair have lodged a combined 23 knockout victories, with Gane taking three and Lewis coming home with a whopping 20 stoppages on the feet. Factory MMA mainstay, Gane has himself stopped three opponents via submission — with Lewis scoring just a sole stoppage via that method in the form of a November 2019 armbar win over Rakim Cleveland.