Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is days away from making his heavyweight debut at UFC 285, but you don’t have to wait until Saturday to see what he’s going to look like inside the cage.
Competing with the big boys at heavyweight meant Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) had to pack on some pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame, and he has spent the past three years adding bulk while maintaining his athleticism. At UFC 285 media day on Wednesday, Jones addressed the changes in his physique, and how he expects to perform inside the cage against Ciryl Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“Honestly I feel like a stronger version of myself,” Jones told reporters. “I’m not super lean. I don’t have a mean six pack like I used to. That took me a while to get used to, you know what I mean? Like, back in the day I would judge my fitness level by the way I looked in the mirror.
“I’m a heavyweight now. It’s not about what you look like. It’s about how you perform. I feel like I’m performing really well. … I feel really good. I like it. I get to eat what I want, feel good. Life is good.”
Images from the UFC 285 pre-fight photo shoot are now available, and you can get a first glimpse of Jones’ heavyweight frame in the Venum UFC fight kit. Take a look at Jones’ new physique below (via Getty Images):
Embed from Getty Images
For comparison to Jones’ light heavyweight frame, check out these images ahead of his last outing at UFC 247 in February 2020:
At UFC 247, Jones weighed in just under the light heavyweight championship mark for his title defense against Dominick Reyes, stepping on the scale at 204 pounds.
It remains to be seen what he will tip the scale at on Friday morning at the official weigh-ins, but it’s apparent by the pictures that he is nowhere near the light heavyweight limit these days.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
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