Jones rolls past Gane in return to win UFC heavyweight title
Jon Jones ruled over the UFC light heavyweight division for years. Now he's the king of the heavyweights.
Making one of the most anticipated comebacks in MMA history, Jones easily dispatched of Ciryl Gane, submitting him with a guillotine choke at the 2:04 mark of the first round to capture the vacant heavyweight title - and become a two-division champion - in the UFC 285 main event Saturday night in Las Vegas.
After more than three years away from the Octagon, Jones faced no adversity in his return bout. He scored a takedown a minute into the fight following a brief feeling-out process on the feet, and that was the beginning of the end. Jones took Gane's back and then moved to top control, quickly advancing to full mount. He sunk in the submission, and Gane tapped out.
"I had this strong conviction that if I were to get him down to the ground, the fight would be in my area," Jones said in his postfight interview. "I've been wrestling since I was 12 years old, and I feel stronger and more comfortable - especially on the ground - than ever."
He added: "I actually felt a little goofy on the feet. It's been a while. But once I got my hands on him, I knew that's where I was most comfortable and that I could take control."
Jones already has his sights set on his first challenger. He called out former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who was cageside at the event.
"Y'all want to see me beat up Stipe?" Jones asked the crowd at T-Mobile Arena. "One thing I know about the UFC is we give the fans what they want to see. Stipe Miocic, I hope you're training, my guy. You're the greatest heavyweight of all time, and that's what I want. I want you real bad."
Miocic appeared on the pay-per-view broadcast after Jones' interview and said he's open to challenging Jones for the heavyweight belt at International Fight Week in July. UFC president Dana White said Friday that Miocic would be next in line for the Jones-Gane winner.
By beating Gane, Jones arguably cements himself as the greatest mixed martial artist in history. He held the UFC light heavyweight title on two occasions between 2011-20, dominating multiple generations of fighters in that division. And now, he is just the eighth fighter in UFC history to capture belts in two weight classes.
In August 2020, Jones relinquished the light heavyweight title and announced he was moving up to heavyweight. However, financial disputes with the UFC kept him sidelined for longer than expected. This was his first Octagon appearance since a controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020.
The vacant title fight between Jones and Gane was booked as a result of former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. Many will still consider Ngannou the best heavyweight in the world, though Jones' quick win over Gane was very convincing. Ngannou beat Gane in a January 2022 title unification bout, but in a competitive unanimous decision. White said Friday that the promotion will never re-sign Ngannou.
Jones went into the Gane fight with the record for most wins in UFC title fights, and he extended that mark to 15 with Saturday's victory. He is now tied for the second-most submissions in UFC title bouts with three, alongside BJ Penn and Ronda Rousey.
The 35-year-old has now gone 19 straight fights without losing, which is the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history. However, he has never truly lost an MMA fight. Jones' only defeat was a controversial disqualification due to illegal elbows in a 2009 bout that he was dominating. Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history. His record is 27-1 (1 NC).
Gane came up short in his second bid for the UFC heavyweight title. He beat Derrick Lewis for the interim heavyweight title in August 2021 before losing to Ngannou. The Frenchman bounced back with a thrilling knockout win over Tai Tuivasa last September at the UFC's debut event in Paris. This was Gane's first stoppage loss in his professional career. He now holds an 11-2 record.