Jon Jones' training partner Don'Tale Mayes, who debuted against Cyril Gane, talks about 'Bones' chances at UFC 285 (Exclusive)

Jon Jones' training partner Don'Tale Mayes has weighed in on 'Bones' chances of defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

Mayes debuted for the organization against Gane in 2019 after impressing on Dana White's Contender Series. 'Lord Kong' came up short against the Frenchman after losing to a heel hook submission in the third round. However, he is currently undefeated in his last three appearances.

The American will be looking to extend his undefeated run this weekend as he takes on Augusto Sakai at UFC Vegas 70 this weekend.

After vacating the light heavyweight title in 2020, Jones stated his desire was to conquer the division above. As part of his plan to be a success, 'Bones' enlisted the help of a number of heavyweight fighters, including Don'Tale Mayes.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw, Mayes was asked for his insight into the upcoming clash between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane. The 31-year-old expects Jones to pick up the victory and believes his decision-making during the fight is a major reason why:

"Ciryl has got his hands full for sure. That's their fight. He's got his hands full and it should be a good fight for sure...His [Jon Jones] decision making is next-level. You know what I'm saying? He just knows where to go at all times."

Check out the full exclusive interview here [7:30]:

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Don'Tale Mayes on Curtis Blaydes being overlooked for title shot

Francis Ngannou vacated the heavyweight title after he was released from the UFC last month. In his absence, Dana White announced that Jon Jones would be returning to the octagon to face Ciryl Gane for the now-vacant belt.

Whilst the match-up between Jones and Gane is certainly exciting, there is a case to be made that Curtis Blaydes should be fighting for the title. 'Razor' is No.4 in the heavyweight rankings and is currently on an impressive three-fight winning run.

In the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Don'Tale Mayes was asked about 'Razor' and his situation. According to 'Lord Kong', Blaydes should have been given the opportunity to face Gane before the Frenchman received another shot at the belt:

"I do feel like he [Blaydes] should have been able to fight Ciryl Gane before he got another title shot. Other than Jon and Ciryl, the only other person I could think about fighting for the belt is f***ing Curtis. I know Sergei [Pavlovich] is on a winning streak...That's the four people I can think of."