Ray Longo reveals reasons for optimism about future of UFC heavyweight division

Widely-revered MMA coach Ray Longo seemingly has high hopes for the future of the UFC heavyweight division. The Serra-Longo Fight Team head coach lauded rising heavyweight star Sergey Spivak for his recent victory over veteran KO artist Derrick Lewis.

Additionally, Ray Longo referenced the highly-anticipated heavyweight matchup between former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Gane will fight Jones for the vacant UFC heavyweight title at UFC 285 on March 4th.

In a recent edition of the Anik & Florian podcast, Ray Longo spoke to UFC commentator Jon Anik and retired MMA fighter Kenny Florian. Longo notably alluded to Sergey Spivak’s first-round submission win against Derrick Lewis. The fight transpired earlier this month and saw Spivak thoroughly out-grapple and dominate Lewis.

Watch the podcast episode below:

Moreover, Ray Longo addressed the Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane showdown, which would mark the legendary Jones’ return to the octagon after a hiatus of about three years. Speaking of Spivak, and Jones vs. Gane, Longo indicated that great things are in store for the heavyweight division. Longo stated:

“The way he [Lewis] got rag-dolled was pretty bad, man. I don’t think we’ve ever seen [Lewis getting rag-dolled] over and over again; just with the wrestling. That was very one-sided. Look, I think there’s life in the heavyweight division. You’ve got a couple of guys now that look really good. So, I think the heavyweight division is – between the fight coming up with Gane and Jones – you’ve got some good fights they can make. So, I’m excited for that.”

Watch Longo discuss the topic in the video below:

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UFC legend Jon Jones aims to fight the ‘greatest heavyweight of all time' next

Jon Jones’ most recent fight witnessed him defend the light heavyweight championship by defeating Dominick Reyes via unanimous decision in February 2020. Jones subsequently vacated the title and has been preparing for his much-awaited heavyweight debut.

Also, Jon Jones recently expounded upon several topics during an appearance on Twitter Spaces (starting at the 22:45 mark) with Kanpai Pandas. 'Bones' suggested that he successfully renegotiated with the UFC to secure better pay for the eight fights left on his contract.

The MMA icon aims to leave the Gane matchup injury-free and return soon. Furthermore, ‘Bones’ emphasized that he’d like to fight the consensus greatest heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic, next. Jones said:

“I’ve got my sights on Stipe Miocic. I think it just means the most. There’s some really exciting fights out there, there's guys that are more intimidating than Stipe, but for my personal legacy, to be able to defeat the greatest heavyweight of all time, it just means the most to me.”