Jon Jones timeline to UFC heavyweight title at UFC 285 from Francis Ngannou to Ciryl Gane
A new heavyweight champion will be crowned at UFC 285. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones takes on former Interim Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane in one of the most unique matchups of all time.
The fight, which will see Jones return after a three-year absence, will take place on March 4th at the T-Mobile Arena.
There is a tangible buzz in the air and the MMA community is eagerly awaiting Jones’ return to action. Beyond the comeback, fans have long been demanding that Jones fight for the heavyweight title. They will finally get their wish, even if it’s not against the fighter they’ve been circling for a long time.
While Ciryl Gane may not have been the first choice on every fantasy fight’s wish list, he is still a formidable opponent for the former champion.
In construction, it is not lost that the path to that moment was bumpy, to say the least.
In a non-traditional way, the UFC could be betting on one of its biggest stars of recent years. Jones believes he is more than up to the challenge.
MORE: Sign in to watch the UFC 285 PPV exclusively on ESPN+
With a 30 for 30 like storyline involving multiple parties, fans may need a timeline breakdown of the events that led us to this UFC 285 main event. The Sporting News takes a look at the heavyweight cover photo, which dates back to when a local firefighter held the belt.
How did we get to Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane?
Let’s stay with the story of Jones for now. After a fight against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020, Jones and heavyweight Francis Ngannou discussed a possible superfight. Speaking to UFC President Dana White, Jones was unhappy with how the negotiations were going, particularly over the salary they would both receive.
The 35 year old relinquished the UFC light heavyweight title hoping that the UFC would give him what he thinks is his worth. Not long after his eviction, Jones decided to turn his attention to heavyweight.
Meanwhile, the UFC heavyweight title is quite the run.
MORE: Remembering last time Jon Jones entered the octagon
Stipe Miocic, who is a firefighter when not competing in the octagon, lost the belt to Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018. He regained it in 2019, defeating Cormier in a trilogy bout in 2020. There were rumors of a Miocic-Jones matchup, but that never materialized, even all these years later.
In 2021, Ngannou beat Miocic for the belt. Ngannou injured ligaments in his knee before his next fight and surprised many by defeating interim champion Gane with wrestling. Ngannou underwent knee surgery after the fight.
There were still attempts to book Ngannou against Jones during his recovery period. Ngannou attempted to negotiate with White and discussed the following demands in order to sign his new contract:
- A three fight deal
- entitlement to funding
- Health insurance
- A fighter attorney who represents fighters in meetings
Those demands were not met, Ngannou was released from his contract, making him a free agent and ex-champion. After a three-year absence from the sport, Jones became the next contender not long after Ngannou’s release, with Gane as the other contender for heavyweight gold. With the fight came the raise Jones demanded.
MORE: Sporting News exclusive: Jon Jones talks UFC 285 return and more
Now the world is waiting to see what the future holds for the prestigious UFC heavyweight title.
UFC Heavyweight Cover Story
*No interim champions are listed
| master | year they won the title |
| Mark Coleman | 1997 |
| Moritz Smith | 1997 |
| Randy Couture | 1997 |
| BasRutten | 1998 |
| Kevin Randleman | 1999 |
| Randy Couture | 2000 |
| Josh Barnett | 2002 |
| Ricco Rodriguez | 2002 |
| Tim Sylvia | 2003 |
| Frank Mir | 2004 |
| Andrei Arlovsky | 2005 |
| Tim Sylvia | 2006 |
| Randy Couture | 2007 |
| Brock Lesnar | 2008 |
| Cain Velasquez | 2010 |
| Junior dos Santos | 2011 |
| Cain Velasquez | 2012 |
| Fabricio Werdum | 2015 |
| Stipe Miocic | 2016 |
| Daniel Kormier | 2018 |
| Stipe Miocic | 2019 |
| Franz Ngannou | 2021 |