Jon Jones could be "injured" heading into UFC 285, speculates Chael Sonnen

Jon Jones is scheduled to compete against Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight championship at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023, more than three years after his last outing inside the octagon. His last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 back in February 2020.

MMA pundits and analysts are trying to evaluate how well Jones will fare in the heavyweight division based on sparring footage and training videos. A lot of people are also curious about Jones's physique, and those questions will get answered come Saturday night. Chael Sonnen, who has shared the octagon with 'Bones' previously, has indicated that Jones may be hurt based on his observations of the first two episodes of the UFC Embedded series.

In the episode, Jon Jones was spotted doing pool exercises. While aquatic exercises have several health benefits, including improved heart health, stress management, increased muscular endurance, and strength, Chael Sonnen believes that pool workouts are for injured athletes. Voicing his concerns on Twitter, Sonnen wrote:

"Watched the 2 Embedded's that are out. His bones and joints are weak, both episodes he is in the pool. Pool workouts are for injured and low impact. He is in recovery mode."

Check out the tweet below:

Jon Jones has stated that he will be fully prepared and assured fans that he will be at his best at UFC 285, despite Sonnen's concerns. Recently, he also took time to analyze his opponent, claiming that Ciryl Gane has never fought an athlete as complete as Jones.

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Jon Jones does not consider Ciryl Gane the most technical striker he has faced ahead of UFC 285

Over his career, Jon Jones has fought a wide range of opponents, from skilled wrestlers to accomplished strikers. Come Saturday night, he will face one of the best heavyweight strikers in Ciryl Gane as he looks determined to capture the vacant heavyweight throne.

Fans speculate that Gane will present Jones with his toughest challenge to date owing to the Frenchman's unparalleled agility and speed in the heavyweight division. Jones, however, claims he has faced better strikers and cites his UFC 239 split decision victory over Thiago Santos as evidence:

"Man I just finished watching my Thiago Santos fight again. I think it’s crazy that you guys consider Gane the most technical kickboxer I’ve ever faced. Everything Thiago did have bad intentions on it. Dude had lightning speed, power, explosiveness. Crazy versatility."

Jones further wrote:

"Gane's last three opponents had terrible defense. Those guys couldn’t stop a kick if their life depended on it. He’s fought flat footed boxers his last three fights"