UFC 285: Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane 03/04/2023 Analysis, Picks and Tips

UFC 285: Jones vs Gane 03/04/2023 – Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane clash for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship on Saturday, March 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The five-round tussle is the main event of the 14-fight UFC 285 card. Jones makes his comeback to the octagon after a three-year hiatus and he faces a tough task against Gane, who regained his contender status by winning over Tai Tuivasa via knockout. The American will face fight rust in his fight against Gane as he has not fought since successfully defending the light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes in February 2020. On the other hand, Gane seeks to prove that he can beat the long-time No1 pound-for-pound MMA fighter and begin his reign in the UFC. Initial sports betting picks slightly favor Jones to win over Gane and become a two-division champion.

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Main Card

Jon Jones

Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC, 20-1, 1 NC UFC) makes his much-awaited comeback in the UFC after a three-year break. The 35-year-old fighter, who was a long-time light heavyweight kingpin, returns to the octagon as he aims to win the heavyweight championship and become a two-division world champion. A win for Jones would make him the eighth fighter in history to become a multi-division champion and the third to capture the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.

In terms of strikes, Jones has landed 4.3 significant strikes per minute and has a significant strike accuracy of 57%. He has absorbed an average of 2.22 strikes per minute and has an excellent strike defense rate of 64%. Jones’ bread and butter is his takedowns as he has a takedown average of 1.85 per 15 minutes. His takedown defense rate is an outstanding 95% and he will bring this to the octagon against one of the best heavyweights in Gane.

Ciryl Gane

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (11-1, 8-1 UFC) will try again to capture the legitimate heavyweight title after he failed for the first time against Francis Ngannou in January 2022. The Frenchman was given another opportunity to fight for the crown when he knocked out Tai Tuivasa in the third round. The gates opened wide for Gane when former champion Francis Ngannou was stripped of the title on January 14 and released from the promotion due to a contract dispute. He will try to maximize the new opportunity given for him as Gane seeks to dominate Jones and win the legitimate UFC heavyweight title.

Gane has stopped eight opponents (five by knockout and three by submissions) in his MMA career and he has also last the full route four times. The Frenchman has an excellent significant strike rate of 59% and 5.11 strikes landed per minute. Gane, however, needs to prove that he can take down fighters as he has a so-so 0.62 takedowns in 15 minutes. His takedown defense is also low for a heavyweight with a 55% rate.