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Michael Chiesa views Ciryl Gane as the toughest fight for Jon Jones at heavyweight right now. 'The Maverick' suggested that, unlike Jones' previous opponents, Gane shares numerous similarities with him.
On ESPN MMA's UFC Live, Chiesa lauded Jones for being a technical and cerebral fighter with diverse weapons. He explained that 'Bones' possesses the intangibles, the length, and the vision that make him special.
Chiesa further highlighted that Jon Jones, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, has bulked up and is set to make his heavyweight debut as he wants to challenge himself. When asked if 35-year-old Jones is best suited to be a heavyweight at this point in his career, Chiesa stated that "it remains to be seen." Nevertheless, 'The Maverick' continued:
"Because, like I said, this is the toughest fight for Jon Jones right now at heavyweight because Ciryl Gane can do a lot of the same things. The elusiveness, the way he uses his weapons. Ciryl Gane uses his elbows as good as anybody at any weight class in the UFC. So, I think it's going to be tough for Jon to face somebody this similar to him 'cause he hasn't in his entire career. Name one person he's fought that has the diversity and the weapons that he possesses."
Michael Chiesa opined that Ciryl Gane is a tougher challenge for Jon Jones than former UFC heavyweight champions Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic. He further alluded to the fact that Gane was out-wrestled by Ngannou in their five-round war in January 2022.
However, 'The Maverick' then defended former interim UFC heavyweight champion Gane's wrestling prowess by opining that he was simply caught off guard by Ngannou. Implying that Gane can hold his own against an elite wrestler like Jones, Chiesa stated:
"You just don't expect Francis Ngannou -- one of the heaviest punchers in the division -- to try to wrestle you. So, you know he [Gane] trained for the wrestling for Jones. So, Jones has a lot to prove."
Watch Chiesa's assessment in the video below:
Ciryl Gane's coach discusses Jon Jones' potential gameplan for UFC 285
Having been on hiatus since February 2020, Jon Jones is scheduled to return and make his long-awaited heavyweight debut. Jones will fight Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Gane's head coach Fernand Lopez recently claimed that he already knows 'Bones' will utilize a wrestling-heavy gameplan against Gane.
He suggested that although Jones is a good striker and could possibly touch Ciryl Gane on the feet, 'Bon Gamin's' striking is on an entirely different level and is unlike anyone else's. Indicating that Gane's striking prowess generally coerces his opponents to try to wrestle him, Lopez said:
"I think no matter what Jon Jones or his team would say, they have plan A as wrestling. No matter what they do in the first round, they'll try the wrestling as soon as this thing starts, I believe it."
Watch Lopez's interview below:
