The rumor ran through social networks, and the president of the UFC, Dana White, confirmed it at the UFC Vegas 67 press conference. Jon Jones returns to the octagons after three years. He will challenge for the heavyweight title, moving up a notch, with Frenchman Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on Saturday, March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Francis Ngannou vacates the belt and leaves the company after failing to reach an agreement to renew the contract.
Less than a week before the UFC’s first numbered event of the year takes place, Dana White dropped the big surprise. Jon Jones returns to fight after almost three years without getting into the octagon. His last fight was in February 2020, where he defeated Dominick Reyes by a controversial unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) in Houston, Texas. He retained his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in a very close fight that saw him suffer. bones He has been a two-time light heavyweight champion, and has made 11 defenses.
Cyryl Gane is number 1 in the heavyweight division. The Frenchman is a two-time French Muay Thai champion and has a record of 11 wins, 5 of them by KO and 3 by submission. His last win was at UFC Paris, where he finished off Australian Tai Tuivasa via third-round TKO. His lone loss came to champion Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision in January 2022 in the belt contest.
At the same press conference, the UFC president also reported that Francis Ngannou was leaving the company. “I think Francis is in a position where he doesn’t want to take risks,” White explained. The Cameroonian has decided not to renew the contract and becomes a free agent. “So we’re going to do this, we’re going to release him from the contract, abdicate our right to match bids. He can go where he wants and do what he wants, ”said the president of the company.