- Jon Jones believes that Ciryl Gane is the most incomplete heavyweight among the top-five fighters in the world.
- He sees Gane’s grappling as a major area of attention, particularly his lack of wrestling and solid takedown defense.
- Jones also picked apart Gane’s weaknesses in striking, noting his reliance on footwork for defense and his tendency to lose his bounce by the championship rounds.
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Jon Jones, a former light heavyweight champion, has broken down Ciryl Gane’s skills ahead of their heavyweight matchup at UFC 285. Jones called Gane “the most incomplete” fighter among the top five heavyweights in the world, pointing out his weaknesses in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. However, Jones did acknowledge Gane’s strength in striking, particularly his footwork.
As a student of the game, Jones has spent months studying Gane’s fights and noticing patterns in his opponent’s tendencies. He believes Gane relies too heavily on evasion and jiu-jitsu instead of a solid takedown defense. Jones also pointed out Gane’s susceptibility to being controlled on the ground, as witnessed in Gane’s fight against Francis Ngannou.
While Jones respects Gane as a dangerous opponent on the feet, he believes Gane’s footwork only lasts for the first few rounds before it fades away. Jones also noticed that Gane prefers to back out quickly instead of using proper defense to block punches and kicks.
Jones looked at Gane during the press conference and admitted that he had a hard task ahead of him. “He looks like a heavyweight, a big boy, a big athlete. I’m excited for the challenge,” Jones said of Gane. As the two heavyweights come face-to-face in the octagon on Saturday night, UFC fans wait with bated breath to see who will come out on top.