Jon Jones provides 43 kilos for UFC heavyweight debut vs. Ciryl Gane

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LAS VEGAS — Jon Jones spent greater than two years packing on the kilos, prepping for his transfer as much as heavyweight. The consequence: The former longtime UFC gentle heavyweight champion really weighed greater than his opponent Friday morning.

Jones hit the scale at 248 pounds, which is 43 extra kilos than he would weigh in for UFC gentle heavyweight title fights. Ciryl Gane, Jones’ opponent and an skilled heavyweight, weighed 247.5 pounds on the UFC Apex. Jones and Gane will struggle for the vacant UFC heavyweight title Saturday night time at T-Mobile Arena.

While some followers on social media identified the noticeable fats round Jones’ stomach in comparison with the standard six-pack he had whereas combating at 205 kilos, the previous champ was additionally notably extra muscular in his chest and arms than he was beforehand.

Jones (26-1, 1 NC) owns UFC data for the longest unbeaten streak (18), title struggle wins (14) and consecutive title defenses (11, tied with Demetrious Johnson). The New York native, who lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has not fought since efficiently defending his gentle heavyweight title towards Dominick Reyes on Feb. 8, 2020. Jones, 35, has by no means actually misplaced within the cage — his lone defeat was through disqualification in a struggle he was dominating again in 2009.

Gane (11-1) is coming off a third-round knockout win over Tai Tuivasa in September. The France native has gained eight of his 9 fights within the UFC. Gane, 32, fought former champion Francis Ngannou and misplaced at UFC 270 in January 2022. He is the previous interim heavyweight champion. Ngannou departed the UFC as a free agent earlier this 12 months and dropped the title.

Both co-main occasion fighters additionally made weight. Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso each weighed 124.5 kilos forward of Shevchenko’s UFC ladies’s flyweight title protection.

Geoff Neal missed weight by 4 kilos, coming in at 175 kilos for a nontitle welterweight bout towards Shavkat Rakhmonov. Neal can be fined 30% of his purse and the struggle will go on.

Mana Martinez additionally missed weight, coming in at 137 kilos, 1 pound over the nontitle bantamweight restrict. Martinez can be fined 40% of his purse, and his scheduled bout with Cameron Saaiman will go on.