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UFC 285 played host to the triumphant return of Jon Jones after a three-year absence. Fans were eager to see the GOAT-claimant step inside the octagon for the first time since his decision to vacate his 205 lbs throne. No one—with the exception of his opponent, Ciryl Gane—was disappointed by his showing.
However, the PPV featured other notable events and outcomes. It has set the tone for the rest of the year in several ways and has firmly entrenched itself as a difficult PPV to overcome. While the UFC awaits Conor McGregor's return, UFC 285 remains the promotion's most prominent event thus far.
It was a star-studded event and one of the best cards in terms of matchups that the promotion has organized in recent years. Even the prelims featured can't-miss fights. Thus, this list details five of the most prominent things that happened at the event.
#5. Cody Garbrandt won for the first time in three years
A few years ago, no one could have imagined that Cody Garbrandt would be the victim of such a significant rough patch. At one point in time, 'No Love' was the undefeated knockout artist who dethroned Dominick Cruz to capture the latter's bantamweight throne.
Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Prior to UFC 285, Garbrandt only had one win in his last six bouts. At the PPV, he faced Trevin Jones, an unranked fighter with 13 wins, 9 losses, and one no-contest. Garbrandt was at a crossroads. A loss would have likely led to his release from the UFC.
Instead, 'No Love' defeated his opponent to capture his first win in three years after he looked all but incapable of defeating anyone in years.
#4. Bo Nickal rose to the occasion
The UFC made an enormous gamble at UFC 285 after scheduling Bo Nickal, who only had three professional fights at the time, to open the PPV main card. The promotion placed a significant amount of expectations on the decorated wrestler's shoulders. He was propped up as a future star and future title contender.
His opponent was Jamie Pickett. Despite his record of 13 wins and 8 losses, he has far more experience than the three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion. But as the cage door slammed shut, Nickal proved his doubters wrong by steamrolling his opponent just as everyone expected.
Within two minutes, he secured a knee-tap takedown en route to an arm-triangle choke. Nickal not only won, but he also rose to the occasion with a dominant win after being asked to open the PPV main card on his UFC debut.
#3. Shavkat Rakhmonov emerges as the UFC's newest welterweight contender
In many ways, Shavkat Rakhmonov is a counterpart to Khamzat Chimaev. The two men are undefeated phenoms with a breadth of finishing ability in both striking and grappling. Furthermore, they are physical specimens who are the largest 170'ers in the welterweight division.
The difference between them, however, is that 'Borz' is far more prone to trash-talk. This, coupled with his quick turnarounds, turned him into an overnight sensation. Meanwhile, 'The Nomad' is a silent assassin who conducts himself respectfully. Thus, he slipped under the radar.
But at UFC 285, Shavkat Rakhmonov faced Geoff Neal in a matchup that became a mirror of Khamzat Chimaev's war with Gilbert Burns. Instead of a split-decision win, however, 'The Nomad' defeated his foe with a standing rear-naked choke to maintain his perfect finishing record and skyrocket into contender status.
#2. Alexa Grasso scores one of the biggest upsets of the year
Fans often regard Valentina Shevchenko as being synonymous with dominance. The former multi-time Muay Thai champion has defeated most of her opponents without leaving any room for uncertainty as to who won. Unfortunately, 'Bullet's' most recent bout was far closer than fans expected.
At UFC 275, she struggled to defeat Taila Santos before an accidental headbutt changed the course of the fight. In her subsequent bout, 'Bullet' sought to defend her title at UFC 285 against Alexa Grasso. Instead of the easy bout she expected, Shevchenko found the bout far more difficult than anyone anticipated.
Grasso's great hand speed and quick linear movement rendered her able to close the distance far faster than Shevchenko could handle. Being outstruck forced 'Bullet' to resort to takedowns. Alas, an ill-fated spinning back-fist in the fourth round exposed Shevchenko to a back-take en route to a face-crank.
Due to the strength of Grasso's squeeze, she had no choice but to surrender and crown her Mexican foe as the new women's flyweight champion.
#1. Jon Jones cements his status as MMA's GOAT
Prior to UFC 285, fans hadn't seen Jon Jones step inside the octagon in three years. News of the former 205'er's future heavyweight debut has been a topic of conversation since the days of Cain Velasquez's reign in the 265 lbs weight class. Unfortunately, 'Bones' never seemed to commit to his promises.
Instead of the AKA standout, 'Bones' faced former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane. Talks of cage-rust and the challenges of the new division were quickly dismissed as Jones ran through 'Bon Gamin' within two minutes of their bout.
In defeating him, 'Bones' finally fulfilled his destiny to become the heavyweight champion. Not only did the victory lead to his capture of the 265 lbs throne, but it also led to him being crowned as MMA's undisputed GOAT.
