Jon Jones is Back! UFC 285 Fight Card

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UFC 285 takes place in the T-Mobile Arena this Saturday, March 4th. The fight card is stacked with exciting fights from top to bottom, including two title fights.

Bo Nickal vs Jamie Pickett

The UFC 285 main card kicks off with a middleweight bout featuring Bo Nickal and Jamie Pickett. Furthermore, both fighters are unranked and both have their eyes on joining the top 15 in the division.

Bo Nickal has a young career in MMA with only a 3-0 record. Although his MMA resume is not that impressive, Bo is a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion. Bo is set for his UFC debut after making easy work of two opponents on the Dana White Contender Series.

On the other hand, Jamie Pickett has not been that successful in the UFC, with only two wins since 2020. Also, he is currently on a two-fight losing streak and is looking to shut down all the hype about Bo Nickal.

Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Mateusz Gamrot #7 vs Jalin Turner #10

A potential fight of the night is set to kick off as the second fight on the main card. Lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot agreed to fill in for Dan Hooker to fight Jalin Turner on short notice.

First, Mateusz Gamrot is looking to get back on the winning column following his loss to Beneil Daruish. An impressive win over Turner could lead to a fight against a top-five-ranked opponent.

In addition, Jalin Turner is on a five-fight winning streak, with all wins ending in finishes. Gamrot is Turner’s toughest opponent, but if Turner could pull off a win, we could see him fighting for a top-five spot as well.

Geoff Neal #7 vs Shavkat Rakhmonov #9

The third fight of the night includes welterweights Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Both fighters are looking to enter the top five of welterweights in hopes of getting a title shot soon.

Shavkat is an undefeated prospect in the 170 division, having won all 16 fights by finish. He is looked at by many people as the best fighter in the 170 division. Also, he is entering this fight after a dominant win over Neil Magny that took place in June of last year.

Geoff Neal has been in the UFC since 2018 and has only lost two times since then. Neal is currently on a two-fight winning streak after finishing Vicente Luque in August 2022. Neal is looking to shut down all the hype surrounding Shavkat and is looking for his first title shot in the future.

Valentina Shevchenko #C vs Alexa Grasso #6

The UFC 285 co-main event includes women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso.

Valentina is arguably the greatest female fighter the UFC has ever had, and she is looking to add another win to her record. Valentina is on a nine-fight winning streak, and eight of them were title fights. She is looking to add another title fight to her resume and potentially try again to become a double champion in the UFC.

In addition, Alexa Grasso is on a four-fight winning streak and is looking to win her first ever title fight. Grasso has been in the UFC since 2016 and has an impressive record of 15-3. Grasso opens up this fight as a huge underdog and is looking to prove people wrong.

Credit: Paul Miller-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane #1

Jon Jones returns to the octagon to face Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship at UFC 285

Jones last fight was more than three years ago when he faced Dominick Reyes in the light heavyweight division. Jon has been in the UFC since 2008 and has won 15 title fights. Jones is arguably the greatest fighter of all time, and a win over Gane after a three-year break could solidify that.

On the other hand, Ciryl Gane has had a young MMA career with only 12 fights. Gane has been in the UFC since 2019 and is known for his dynamic striking. Although Gane has never won the undisputed title, he did defeat Derick Lewis to win the interim title. A win over Jon Jones could make Ciryl Gane one of the best heavyweights of all time.

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