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In his time away from the sport, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones added on a good amount of weight as he prepared for a transition to the heavyweight division.
Jones, 35, weighed in at 248 pounds on Friday ahead of his return to the octagon, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. He actually outweighed his opponent Ciryl Gane, an experienced heavyweight, who came in at 247.5 pounds at the UFC Apex.
ESPN MMA @espnmmaJon Jones weighed in at 248 pounds ahead of his heavyweight debut ⚖️ #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/IwuxAfvAoY
Jones (26-1, 1 NC) and Gane (11-1) will face off for the vacated UFC heavyweight championship on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The title was previously held by Francis Ngannou, who was stripped of the title after he and the company couldn’t come to terms on a new contract.
It’s been over two years since Jones stepped foot in an octagon. He last faced Dominick Reyes on Feb. 8, 2020, a fight he won via unanimous decision. Jones still owns several UFC records including longest unbeaten streak (18), title fight wins (14) and consecutive title defenses (11, tied with Demetrious Johnson).
His lone defeat came via disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009.
Gane is coming off a win against Tai Tuivasa in September. He won eight of his first nine fights with the UFC and previously fought for the title against Ngannou, losing via decision in January 2022.
Source : Bleacher Report