Ahead of Jon Jones' heavyweight debut, one of his former opponents is offering some advice to Ciryl Gane.
During an interview with The Schmo, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, who challenged 'Bones' for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 135, spoke about the different stylistic matchups at heavyweight.
He mentioned that Gane's striking could be a major advantage at UFC 285 next month if he can keep the fight on the feet:
"I think he [Ciryl Gane] have to stay away from his wrestling, 'cause I think heavyweights, they got a bigger punching power. If he could land the strikes and keep Jon Jones from taking him down, he'd do okay."
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Jackson also spoke about the excitement in the heavyweight division and the attention it's receiving at the moment. He mentioned that he believes his former foe will do well after making the move up from 205 pounds:
"It's a lot going on in the heavyweight division. The heavyweight division has always been 'the' division, but now that Jon Jones has moved up from light heavyweight to heavyweight, he's gonna stir the pot."
There is plenty of anticipation for Jones' long awaited heavyweight debut. It will be interesting to see how he performs against an athletic striker like Gane, especially considering he hasn't fought since 2020.
Check out the full interview:
Will Jon Jones become a two-division champion at UFC 285?
For years, Jon Jones ruled at light heavyweight. But having left that weight class behind, he will now be looking to add his name to the list of fighters who have won UFC championships in two different divisions.
'Bones' will make his highly anticipated heavyweight debut at UFC 285, where he will fight Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship. The title was vacated after Francis Ngannou declined the promotion's final contract offer and departed to free agency.
Former light heavyweight champion Jones committed himself to the move after relinquishing his title three years ago. He's been training with Henry Cejudo at Fight Ready and is looking to make a statement in his heavyweight debut, with the goal being to reign over the division like he did at 205 pounds.