Jon Jones hopes to end any doubts about best ever at UFC 285

Jon Jones has spent the last three years in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has prioritised spending time with his family, going hunting, and preparing for his significant comeback. In order to prepare for Saturday night, when he will move up to the heavyweight class, he recruited a squad. On that night, he will try to dispel any remaining doubts about his status as the best fighter in UFC history. He established that as a light heavyweight by triumphing in a record-setting 14 championship contests. He also holds the UFC record with an 18-match winning streak and a 26-1 record with one no-contest. Coming up comes France's Ciryl Gane, the top-ranked heavyweight with a record of 11-1. With a win, Jones, 35, may once again be considered for the title of best pound-for-pound fighter, which is now held by featherweight Alexander Volkanovski. Jones declared, "I'm not striving to be the best pound-for-pound right now; I'm fighting to be the greatest fighter ever. The main event of UFC 285 will feature his contest with Gane for the vacant heavyweight championship. Women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (23-3) of Kyrgyzstan competes against sixth-ranked Alexa Grasso (15-3) of Mexico in the main undercard bout. Nearly all eyes will be on Jones, who not only has to demonstrate that he can succeed in the heavyweight division as he did at a lower level, but also that the extended break won't harm him.Even though Jones hasn't competed in the UFC since defeating Dominick Reyes by majority decision on February 8, 2020, he insisted that he hasn't been inactive. Even though his body isn't as toned, he said he is stronger than before. Jones, however, argued that this is due to the extra weight needed to compete at the top level.

Dricus Du Plessis, a middleweight who will compete against Derek Brunson in a preliminary match, expressed his belief that Jones would triumph and that he has the strength to overcome such a lengthy layoff from competition. Du Plessis added a word of caution nevertheless. Du Plessis remarked, "Three years is a very long period. "He doesn't seem like the type of man who would have trouble with ring rust. Simply said, in my opinion, the game has changed considerably over the past two years in particular. The game does not wait for any man." For his part, Jones is certain that this war will come to an end just like so many others. He questioned Gane's fighting spirit, stating it wasn't evident when he was defeated by Francis Ngannou on January 22, 2022, in a unanimous decision. Jones remarked, "I just don't see myself losing to a man like Ciryl Gane. According to oddsmakers, Gane would be poised for a potentially successful year if he were to pull off the triumph. In addition to claiming the heavyweight title, a victory would put him in position to face Stipe Miocic, who is rated second.

The 32-year-old Gane added, "This is going to place my résumé at the top level for sure. Yet even a triumph wouldn't elevate his record to Jones' level. But it's not just about what Jones does in the octagon. A failed drug test in 2016 resulted in a year's suspension, and a further positive drug test resulted in the no-contestation of his 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier. In 2019, the USADA modified the requirements for what constitutes a positive test, and Jones declared he would have passed under the new criteria. Jones stated, "They thought I was a cheater.Now, if the same regulation had been in place then,There would have been no transaction at all. Daniel Cormier would not be a no-contest winner if I defeated him. It would be decisive. So I'm hopeful that these rule adjustments would allow us to go back and convert that no-contest into a victory. I would really appreciate that. "I gave my life for this sport, and I'm happy that future fighters won't have to go through what I did. Being branded a steroid cheat was awful. And now that everyone can easily see that I never was, I feel liberated."