At UFC 285, Jon Jones will make his three-year absence from the UFC’s octagon official come to an end. To fill Francis Ngannou’s vacant heavyweight title, “Bones” will compete against No. 1 challenger Ciryl Gane.
At the UFC Fight Night: Krylov vs. Spann post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White spoke and discussed the UFC 285 main event. He disclosed that in case of an event of comparable scope, the promotion always has a backup fighter available. White will not, however, reveal the name of the heavyweight waiting to fight Jones vs. Gane.
Does the main event’s backup fighter exist? Absolutely, we always have back-ups ready for situations like that. [Can you identify that person?] Yes, we have a backup, but I’m not going to say it.
In terms of making weight and being available for their fights, Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane have a good track record. Both “Bones” and his French opponent have never missed weight in their respective professional careers.
Jon Jones shows sincere gratitude to Henry Cejudo and his team in his final training session before UFC 285
Jon Jones’ protracted absence from competition was preceded by a rather contentious victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in 2020.
Following a wage dispute with president Dana White, the former light heavyweight champion gave up his championship and left the UFC. He has, nonetheless, kept up his training and preparations for his promotion to the heavyweight class.
It’s interesting to note that Henry Cejudo and his coach Eric Albarracin offered assistance to Jones, and he has spent a lot of time practising with their team in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A week before making his heavyweight debut, Jones praised the staff during his final workout:
“I want to thank you for opening the doors so I could get ready for the fight. My team always supported me, but there was a brief period when I was in a limbo and it wasn’t cool to be affiliated with me. Some of the first people to answer the door and inform me that Arizona was always home were you folks. And I truly appreciate you saying it; I’ll never forget that. I want to express my gratitude to you all for that. Men, let’s start working!