Jon Jones is new UFC heavyweight champion
After a three-year absence from the cage, Jon Jones returned to the Octagon in style, becoming the new heavyweight champion in a thorough mismatch.
In one of the more dominant finishes in UFC history, Jones needed only two minutes to finish Ciryl Gane. His guillotine choke completely overwhelmed Gane, forcing a very quick tap.
The finishing sequence began when Jones (27–1, 1 NC) ducked from an incoming strike. He got behind Gane and dragged him to the ground, then scrambled his way atop Gane. Jones put his weight on top of Gane, then locked in the choke.
Gane (11–2) may have had an advantage in kickboxing, but he was simply no match for Jones in wrestling. He was never competitive, and looked out of place sharing the cage with Jones.
After the bout, Jones called out Stipe Miocic, a bout that looks like a lock to headline International Fight Week in July. Jones is in pursuit of becoming the greatest of all time, and he will need to defeat Miocic in order to accomplish that feat.
Jones’s victory concluded a highly compelling fight card. Though the main event was rapid, it did not lack drama. Jones is back, fulfilling what he believed was his destiny of becoming heavyweight champion.
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Alexa Grasso ends Valentina Shevchenko’s title reign
Alexa Grasso needed to be perfect to beat Valentina Shevchenko.
And during one particular moment, she was.
The championship moment came in the fourth round when Shevchenko missed a spinning back kick, and Grasso immediately seized Shevchenko’s back. She got the back of her hand onto Shevchenko’s neck, forcing her to tap to a rear naked choke. For only the second time in her career, Grasso won by submission—and this one made her the new flyweight champion.
Shevchenko (23–4) was seeking her 10th straight victory, but Grasso (16–3) had other plans. She is now the first Mexican woman to become UFC champion. And even if the scorecards show that Shevchenko was ahead until the submission, this was a close fight from start to finish.
A skilled boxer, Grasso landed a clean left hand on Shevchenko in the opening round. Shevchenko was wise to move away from trading strikes in the second round, instead changing levels and scoring a takedown in the opening minute and kept her there two minutes. Grasso escaped with two minutes left in the round, and she was able to land a solid right hand. Shevchenko then landed another takedown, keeping her there until the end of the round.
The difference in the third round was Shevchenko’s timing. Grasso was a step behind on her defense, with Shevchenko illustrating how she is a master of adjustments. In the fourth, Shevchenko held a slight edge until the failed spinning back kick.
There will undoubtedly be a rematch, but for now, the flyweight division belongs to Alexa Grasso.
Shavkat stays undefeated—and keeps his streak alive
17 fights.
17 finishes.
Shavkat Rakhmonov submitted Geoff Neal in the third round with a standing rear naked choke, narrowly escaping his first-ever judges scorecard. This was an incredibly tough fight, and Neal looked healthy after missing weight by four pounds.
A proud gatekeeper of the welterweight division, Neal (15–5) landed some vicious combinations. But even when rattled, Rakhmonov (17–0) was never in serious trouble. He constantly had an answer for Neal, absorbed a flurry of strikes, and found one more burst of energy to ensure he ended the fight with a finish.
Rakhmonov is officially a contender for the welterweight title.
Mateusz Gamrot defeats Jalin Turner by split decision
Mateusz Gamrot took this fight against Jalin Turner only 10 days ago, but the gamble was worth it.
Gamrot defeated Turner by split decision, winning an extremely close fight. This was particularly important for Gamrot (22–2, 1 NC), who was outclassed last October in his bout against Beneil Dariush. But he regained a considerable amount of momentum with this victory, defeating an opponent in Turner (13–6) who was riding a five-fight win streak.
Gamrot wants a top-five opponent, though he is more likely to match up against someone like Arman Tsarukyan. Regardless of what comes next, this is a massive win for Gamrot.
Bo Nickal wins welterweight debut by submission
Bo Nickal made it look easy.
Nickal (4–0) finished Jamie Pickett by submission, needing less than a round to end the bout. Once Nickal brought Pickett (13–9) to the ground, this was all mathematical. Pickett had no answer for the arm triangle, and Nickal passed his first test in the UFC.
This was an impressive debut. The future is full of potential for Nickal, but there will be plenty of established fighters looking to man a name off the heralded wrestler.
Daniel Cormier is not fighting Saturday at UFC 285. But he will be playing an important role.
Jon Jones returns at 285 to fight Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title, his first bout in over three years. Forever his eternal rival, it is fitting that Cormier will be on the broadcast team calling the action while Jones is in the Octagon.
“I’ve spent the most time with Jon in the Octagon,” says Cormier. “Almost 40 minutes over two occasions. I know who he is as a competitor. I appreciate the competitor, even if I don’t appreciate everything else.”
Courtesy UFC
Cormier’s insight and perspective is going to add another dimension to an extremely intriguing fight card.
Jones twice defeated Cormier, though the second victory—which took place in the summer of 2017 and briefly stood as Jones’s signature masterpiece—was overturned after he tested positive for turinabol. That only further ignited their long and lengthy feud, which ran deeply personal. But Jones recently posted on social media that he had moved on and held no reservations about Cormier calling his fight.
Always the professional, Cormier shared that he was never going to allow personal feelings to hinder the way he calls a fight.
“No matter what, I was going to do my job,” says Cormier, who will be on the headset with Jon Anik and Joe Rogan. “The UFC trusts me with these moments. Moments like we saw with Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, or Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal, or Rose Namajunas or Georges St-Pierre. For me, it’s a blessing to be here. I wouldn’t do anything that would change that.”
Jones is seeking to follow the same path that Cormier paved, evolving from dominant light heavyweight champion to unstoppable heavyweight. Cormier defeated Stipe Miocic to win the heavyweight title in 2018, and now, five years later, Jones is attempting to win that very same championship against Gane.
While it is widely assumed that Jones will win—this reporter feels particularly confident in that, too—Cormier sent out a warning to those dismissing Gane.
“A lot of people are assuming Jones is going to win, but this is not a foregone conclusion,” says Cormier. “I think that’s crazy. They’re as evenly matched as anyone. This is a real, real tough fight for both guys. There is a world in which Jones looks like the Jones of old. But there is also a world where he doesn’t. That’s what makes the fight so much fun.”
The 285 fight card is loaded with compelling and captivating matchups. This includes the main event, as well as the great Valentina Shevchenko defending her flyweight title against Alexa Grasso. Excitement fills the card as heralded wrestler Bo Nickal makes his UFC debut, Shavkat Rakhmonov looks to continue his undefeated ways at welterweight against Geoff Neal, and Mateusz Gamrot returns on short notice for a lightweight bout against Jalin Turner.
“It’s a tremendous fight card,” says Cormier. “There are two title fights, and you add Bo Nickal and Shavkat. It’s just a really good fight card from top to bottom. I’m pumped, as pumped for a card as I’ve ever been. Everything is in order for a really special night.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
