UFC icon Jon Jones has not been in a cage for three years. On his return, he makes short work of it and secures the heavyweight title. The surprise of the evening, however, was the women’s flyweight title fight.
The MMA event UFC 285 is all about Jon Jones. With the return of the multiple champion, the world’s best-known martial arts organization finally has one of its biggest stars back. With his move to heavyweight, the American was also in a title fight against Frenchman Cyril Gane – and cemented his reputation of being the GOAT, the “Greatest of All Time” after just two minutes. Jones defeated Gane after two minutes via submission (guillotine choke) in round one.
Jones hadn’t been in the cage for three years, and there was no sign of ring rust. Everything the 35-year-old showed on his comeback looked easy. Jones brought Gane down after just a few seconds, pinned him against the cage and applied the choke hold. The position looked rather unorthodox and the Frenchman still looked fresh, but the American’s grip tightened further before Gane finally gave up. “I’ve wrestled since I was 12 years old. I feel stronger and more comfortable on the ground than ever before. As soon as I got my hands on it, I knew that was where I felt most comfortable and could take control,” explained Jones his approach in the interview after the fight.
“I’ve been working towards this for a very long time,” Jones continued. “A lot of people thought I wasn’t coming back. I stayed true to my goal. I stayed true to the mission. There were days when I didn’t want to train, but I was always there.”
The UFC legend also challenged his next opponent. He targeted an ex-heavyweight champ. “Want to see me beat up Stipe?” Jones said as 40-year-old veteran Stipe Miocic flashed on the arena monitor. “One thing I know about the UFC is that we give the fans what they want to see. Stipe Miocic I hope you train my friend.”
The previous women’s flyweight title fight was the real surprise of the evening. After seven title defenses, Valentina Shevchenko had to give up her belt. Challenger Alexa Grasso defeated the Kyrgyz fighter via submission in the fourth round. Grasso took advantage of a mistake by Shevchenko when she kicked a spinning back kick into space and Grasso got her in a pinch hold. On the ground, Shevchenko defended himself against the rear naked choke for a few moments, but ultimately had to give up.
“Please pinch me, I feel like I’m dreaming,” Grasso said after the fight. “I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long.” Shevchenko proved to be a fair loser. “That’s what happens in mixed martial arts,” she said. “You win the fight all rounds and one situation can change the whole thing. It’s part of the game. Congratulations Alexa.”
