Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
Jon Jones is expected to fulfill the next piece of his fighting destiny Saturday. He’s favored to defeat Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, and a victory would make him the heavyweight champion, a title he has long aspired to attain.
The coronation is a decade in the making. Jones has had too many controversies, erratic behavior and altercations with the law, including a domestic violence arrest, none of which should be ignored. Throughout his highs and lows, the one place where Jones (26–1, 1 NC) remains untouchable is inside the cage. Yes, there is one loss–but that came 13 years ago via a disqualification, meaning the next person to beat Jones will be the first.
Gane believes he is the one who will make history by defeating Jones.
“You can’t compare us,” says Gane. “He has way more experience and victories than me. Jon Jones is the GOAT. But this is different. This is man against man. This is my opportunity.”
In his short amount of time fighting, Gane (11–1) is nearly perfect in the cage. He has defeated almost every challenger thrown at him, including Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and (a past-his-prime) Junior dos Santos. The lone loss was suffered against Francis Ngannou, who was widely believed to be the one who would fight Jones for the title. Yet despite his status as the reigning heavyweight champion, Ngannous did not come to terms on a new contract with the UFC, making him a free agent—causing the title to be vacated.
Fernand Lopez, who is Gane’s coach—and the former coach of Ngannou—believes this is a difficult matchup for Jones.
“Ciryl has a set of skills that are going to be a nightmare for Jon Jones,” says Lopez. “Now I know Jon Jones is one of the greatest ever, and I mean ever, in the Octagon. But Ciryl Gane is the one who can beat him.”
Gane has yet to fight an opponent with the level of defense that Jones possesses. Even when he struggled in his last two bouts—a close victory against Thiago Santos in 2019, followed by an even narrower victory against Dominick Reyes—Jones minimized the moments where he took damage. Kicks to the body were a significant part of Gane’s victories against Lewis and Tuivasa. If Jones can stop Gane’s arsenal of kicks, how will he respond?
“I need to be at my absolute best,” says Gane. “That’s why this is the best thing to ever happen to me in sports. I get to test myself against Jon Jones, the greatest of all time. I wish it was tomorrow. I am so happy for this opportunity.”
Up until this point, the best wrestler Gane has faced is Ngannou. In terms of wrestling, there is no comparison: Jones is in an elite class of his own. That will be another challenge for Gane as he attempts to accomplish what no one before him has done.
“I believe in myself, and I believe in my team,” says Gane. “There are a lot of possibilities. I believe I can finish him early with a submission or a KO. I can go all five rounds and beat him with the scoring. I see myself winning the fight.”
Fighter to watch at UFC 285 is Shavkat Rakhmonov
Rakhmonov is ready for his breakout moment.
And that very well could happen Saturday at UFC 285.
Rakhmonov (16–0) seeks to extend his undefeated record against Geoff Neal, who is ranked seventh in the UFC’s welterweight rankings. Rakhmonov is currently tied in the ninth spot with Vicente Luque, but that will change if he puts forth a dominating performance against Neal.
Neal (15–4) is a real test for Rakhmonov. He enters on a two-fight win streak where he defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio by split decision in December 2021, then knocked out Luque last August. Rakhmonov has won all four of his UFC bouts, with the stiffest challenge coming in his last bout against Neil Magny. But Rakhmonov wore him down for two rounds before getting the submission on a guillotine choke with two seconds left in the second. It was an impressive showing from Rakhmonov, and he now looks to make an even louder statement against Neal.
Rakhmonov has finished all 16 of his fights. Despite the manner in which he has steamrolled opponents, he still has a lot to prove—beginning this Saturday against a welterweight division gatekeeper coming off a noteworthy victory of his own.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
