UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane (Analysis and Predictions) Issue #1
On Saturday, March 4, Jon Jones will face off against Ciryl Gane for the Heavyweight Championship of the world. Here is a complete analysis before the fight and some fights to look out for!
The Return of Jon Jones:
After a three-year absence, Jon “Bones” Jones will finally make his long-awaited and highly anticipated return to the UFC octagon on Saturday, March 4. Jones is widely regarded as the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T), and he has earned that title, say what you want about his activities outside the octagon. Still, despite his controversies, inside the octagon, he was a beast waiting to be released. This Saturday night, UFC fans worldwide will have the opportunity to witness his return. After such a long-awaited hiatus, does Jon Jones still possess that ferocity to bang and bleed with the big boys? We will soon find out.
Jon Jones is a man who needs no introduction; his accomplishments inside the octagon are some of the most insane and astonishing feats that have ever been seen in the sport of mixed martial arts. At just 23 years of age, Jones became the youngest champion in the history of the UFC and holds the record for most title fight wins (15) in the company’s history. With a record of 26-1, he is undoubtedly the most decorated fighter in the sport of mixed martial arts. He won fighter of the year in 2011 and has some of the most spectacular knockouts and submissions in the history of the UFC. His only “loss” was in one of his first UFC fights, where he was given a loss by disqualification due to illegal elbows, but if you watch the fight back, Jones dominated every second on the feet and on the ground.
Despite his impressive achievements, Jon Jones is not yet done with the sport of mixed martial arts and only looks to extend his already impressive record. With the Heavyweight title vacant, Jones has set his sights on becoming champion once again, and he has moved up from Light-heavyweight, where he reigned supreme for years, and wants to prove himself against the biggest and baddest that the UFC has to offer. After Francis Ngannou vacated his title, the UFC was at a loss. Who were the 2 men that deserved the opportunity the most? They ultimately decided, and their decision did not disappoint.
Ciryl Gane is one of the meanest, fastest, and strongest fighters to come out of the Heavyweight division, his striking is slick and precise, and his punches are as dangerous as they come. The whole Francis Ngannou debacle could not have yielded a better outcome. From a stylistic point of view, Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou might not have lived up to the hype the fight gentled on paper. While Ngannou is fast and strong, stronger than anyone in the UFC, he was also very hesitant under pressure, in his fight against Ciryl Gane, this was entirely on display, Francis Ngannou appeared to be hesitant as if he was almost scared of getting knockout. What was supposed to be a 5 round war looked like a sparring session. It was far from what people were expecting, you weren’t seeing the two best fighters the division had to offer. It would have looked like a street fight if you had changed the background.
Both fighters hesitated in the highly anticipated matchup between Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane. Francis Ngannou was on a five-fight win streak, and Ciryl Gane was on a 6 fight win streak with no blemishes on his record. Both men were just too cautious in their approach. However, against Jon Jones, hesitation is not an option. There is no fear, no uncertainty; he is as cold as they come, He employs and believes in the strategy of mental warfare, and if he is able to get into Ciryl Gane’s head, it could very well be game over for the Frenchman.
The Future Champion goes by The Name of Bo Nickal:
After an impressive 52-second victory against Donovan Beard in Dana Whites Contender Series, the name Bo Nickel has surfaced on the MMA communities radar and gained significant attention, making his UFC debut on March 4th against Jaime Pickett, Bo Nickal is one of the most well-rounded prospects emerging from the contender series, with the makings of a future UFC champion.
The three-time NCAA champion, coached by Cael Sanderson, ended his career with a remarkable record of 183- 7. He is one of the most dominant and ferocious wrestlers to have emerged from the NCAA. While mixed martial arts was always on his radar, he only decided to pursue it professionally after graduating from Penn State University. After only 2 amateur fights, Bo Nickal had his professional MMA debut on Jorge Masvidals IKON FC, Bo Nickal's MMA debut ended quickly after he stopped his opponent in only 0:33 seconds by KO, Nickal showed he wasn’t just a wrestler, and that caught the attention of the UFC.
Nickal would go on to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, a tv show that has helped launch the careers of many well-known UFC fighters, such as Sean O'Malley, Jamal Hill, and Kevin Holland. Nickal’s first fight on the contender series would be his longest, taking 1:02 to get the submission but dominating every second of the fight, winning by rear naked choke. After the fight, Dana White challenged him to prove his skill set, saying that he needed to see a bit more from Nickal, as he was only 2-0 at the time, and he wanted to know if his skill set was being exaggerated, or if he was the real deal.
He was booked to fight again; with his sight sent on that UFC Contract and Dana White's sight on him, Nickal would have to go above and beyond to prove himself and earn his place in the UFC, and that’s precisely what he did. With one of, if not the most impressive performances to come out of the contender series, Nickal’s second fight was a masterclass in mixed martial arts, finishing his opponent in only 0:52 seconds, he was a lion, and Donovan Beard was his prey. His movements were so precise he took his time waiting for the perfect moment to strike; the first punch was thrown, a left hook connected straight to Beard’s jaw, and before Beard could counter, Nickal already had his right leg and had thrown him to the ground. From there, there was nothing that Donovan Beard could do. He was a mouse being fed to a snake, wrapped around, ready to be devoured at any second. Moments later, Nickal would turn from the top mount into a triangle choke, securing his victory and UFC contract.
Bo Nickal is set to fight against Jaime Pickett, a fighter with a record of 13-8, on March 4 before Jon Jones and Cyril Gane face off for the vacant Heavyweight title. This will be Bo Nickal’s most brutal fight, facing an opponent with much more experience inside the octagon. However, if Nickal is successful, dominates, and finishes his opponent in the first round, just as he has done with his previous opponents, he could be on track to getting bigger and better fights and one day hold the Middleweight championship.
Should Cody Garbrandt Retire?
Cody “No Love” Garbrandt has been, and always will be, a staple of the Bantamweight division. The former Bantamweight champion holds a record of 12-5. It has been up against some of the most ferocious fighters that the division had to offer, with names such as former champions TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz and dangerous contenders such as Pedro Muños and Rob Font.
Following a three-fight losing streak, Cody Garbrandt's victory over Raphael Assuncao gave hope to his fans that Garbrandt could make a comeback. After all, his KO of Raphael Assuncao has to be seen to be believed. With only one second left on round number two, Garbrandt managed to pull off a fantastic right hook that left Assuncao sleeping until 2022.
Even though the former champ had this impressive knockout, Garbrandt encountered setbacks in his next two fights. His first fight after Assuncao was a grueling five-round war against Rob Font. The fight showcased the poor skill level that Garbrandt had to offer. This wasn’t the same Cody Garbrandt that fought against Dominick Cruz, he was slower and wasn’t as powerful as he used to be. Cody has always been an explosive fighter, and some may say that’s what won him the championship, but others could argue that’s what caused his downfall. Font was awarded the unanimous decision, and after that, Cody was unsure what he wanted to do at Bantamweight, so he made a decision, he would move down to Flyweight, where he would be booked to fight against one of the most aggressive and dangerous fighters that the division has ever seen Kai Kara-France #3.
Kai Kara-France demonstrated that his elite skill level was beyond what Cody could have imagined; Cody was knocked unconscious in the first round. Kai clearly wanted to make a statement that Cody Garbrandt could not compete in the Flyweight division. So what now? Cody cannot compete against the top opponents in the Flyweight division, and he cannot go up a weight class from Bantamweight because that division (Featherweight) is full of killers. Not one person in the Featherweight top ten could not turn Cody’s lights off in the first round.
Cody Garbrandt will always be remembered as one of the greatest fighters that ever graced the Bantamweight division, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Garbrandt is set to fight against Trevin Jones, a 13-9 unranked Bantamweight contender. This fight is Cody Garbrandt’s final opportunity to show that he can still stand and bang with the elites of his division. If he doesn’t perform, what will be the next step in the career of the former Bantamweight champion?
Predicted Slug Fest: Brunson vs. Du Plessis:
One of the most highly anticipated matchups of the night will feature Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis. Both fighters rank in the top ten of the Middleweight division, with Brunson ranked #5 and Du Plessis # 10. If there is one match that is guaranteed to be exciting, it’s this one. Both fighters are looking for a title shot, and this fight could very well bring them one step closer to being future title contenders.
Derek Brunson may not be among the most well-liked middleweights, but his skill set is undeniably one of the best the division offers. With victories over elite fighters such as Darren Till, Kevin Holland, Lyoto Machida, and Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson might not have beaten everyone who stepped inside the octagon. Still, he certainly has fought the UFC's most elite roster of competitors. Brunson looks to get back into the winner circle and regain his momentum after his 5 fight win streak was broken in his last bout by Jarred Canotier #3.
Dricus Du Plessis moved up to #10 in the Middleweight ranking after a remarkable fight against Darren Till, which earned them the fight of the night bonus. Du Plessis's fighting style is an elite mixture of grappling and striking. His technique has helped him gain a 4 fight win streak in the UFC. With only 2 losses on his record, could Du Plessis's fighting style prove too dangerous for his opponent Derek Brunson? or could Derek end up submitting Du Plessis and make his way to a fight with one of the top three contenders in the Middleweight division?
My Picks: UFC 285
Main Card:
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane #1 — Winner: Jon Jones
Valentina Shevchenko (Champion) vs. Alexa Grasso #6 — Winner: Valentina Shevchenko
Geoff Neal #7 vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov #10 — Winner: Shavkat Rakhmonov
Mateusz Gamrot #7 vs. Jalin Turner # 10 — Winner: Mateusz Gamrot
Bo Nickle vs. Jaime Pickett — Winner: Bo Nickle
Prelims/Early Prelims:
Cody Garbrandt vs. Trevin Jones — Winner: Cody Garbrandt
Derek Brunson #5 vs. Dricus Du Plessis — Winner: Dricus Du Plessis
Ian Garry vs. Song Kenan — Winner: Song Kenan
Great stuff man keep it up !