Former Jon Jones opponent gives word of advice to Ciryl Gane ahead of UFC 285

Former Jon Jones opponent Chael Sonnen gave a word of advice to Ciryl Gane ahead of the Frenchman's heavyweight title bout against 'Bones' at UFC 285. The event will see the return of a fighter considered by many to be the greatest of all time in MMA as he moves up in weight to face the No.1-ranked contender Ciryl Gane.

It was speculated that Jones would fight Francis Ngannou in his heavyweight debut, but the Cameroonian left the UFC following failed contract negotiations. He will instead face Ngannou's former opponent Gane for the vacant heavyweight title.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen said that 'Bon Gamin' must take the reins in the first round of the fight against Jones:

"Ciryl must - absolutely must take control of this match in the opening frame. The first person to touch the other person is going to win this fight. If Jon Jones, like he always does, comes out and kicks you in the mouth - [if he] comes through the air jumps up and knees you in the head, Jon Jones goes first. He will put you on the defense no matter who you are, and you will defend for the duration of that fight."

Skip to 5:27 for Chael Sonnen's advice to Ciryl Gane:

Sonnen continued:

"If you go out and you put him on the defense, you take control of the dance. [It's] the one thing that everybody is scared to do because they respect Jones so much. But, there is not a third option, guys. You're either leading or you're following, that's it. These aren't Chael's rules, these are fight rules."

---

What are the odds for the UFC 285 main event between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane?

According to fightodds.io, Jon Jones is the betting favorite in his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. The official DraftKings sportsbook odds have 'Bones' as the -150 favorite against the +130 underdog 'Bon Gamin'. The official BetUS odds have Jones as the -145 favorite against Gane, who is the +115 underdog.

Jon Jones is making his comeback after three years, having last fought Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in a successful light heavyweight title defense.

Ciryl Gane's most recent outing was against Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209. 'Bon Gamin' scored a third-round knockout victory over 'Bam Bam' in the UFC's first event in France.

Apart from his defeat to Francis Ngannou, Gane hasn't lost a bout in his professional career spanning 12 fights.

So why is Jones, who will be fighting at heavyweight for the first time, favored over Gane in this matchup?

Jon Jones is known for his legendary fight IQ and creativity inside the octagon. He has finishes over names like Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Daniel Cormer, and Alexander Gustafsson, to name a few.

Watch Jon Jones' top finishes below: