Jon Jones cranked on Ciryl Gane’s neck with so much torque that ‘Bones’ could hear his opponent’s spine popping.
That’s according to comments from Jones himself following his jaw-dropping return to the Octagon on Saturday night. After a three-year layoff from the sport, ‘Bones’ continued right where he left off, submitting No. 1 ranked contender Ciryl Gane to capture the UFC heavyweight championship.
Initially, fans and even the commentary team of John Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier were confused as to what led to the finish. Replays showed that Jones had locked in a tight guillotine choke once he had Gane pressed against the cage leaving the Frenchman no choice, but to tap out just over the two-minute mark of the very first round. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Jones gave a bit more insight into the fight-ending sequence, including a startling revelation.
“I locked it up twice,” Jones revealed. “The first time, I could hear his spine popping. I gave him a nice chiropractic adjustment. The second time, he didn’t want that same ratchet on his neck, and I put my arm on his neck and choked him out. I didn’t expect it to go that quickly, but that’s what we were looking for, the win and domination.”
The booth reaction when P4P king @JonnyBones cemented the win 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CpoSyrkEfN
— UFC (@ufc) March 7, 2023
Jon Jones Will Turn His Attention to Former Heavyweight King Stipe Miocic
Following his quick defeat at the hands of the new No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Ciryl Gane expressed disappointment in himself after training hard alongside his coaches and family for the opportunity to become a world champion.
“I’m disappointed, of course,” Gane said following the bout. “The biggest feeling is really angry about myself. (I’m) really angry because, yes, we accepted this fight. It was not a short notice, but the time was not too longer. But man, we worked a lot. We worked a lot and we spent a lot of time with my team, with my sparring partners. I’m really angry at myself because I spent a lot of time with my partners and my coaches and my family. It didn’t have a good (reflection) during the fight. I’m really angry.”
Next up for Jon Jones is a scrap with general consensus heavyweight GOAT, Stipe Miocic. The former two-time titleholder confirmed that the UFC offered him the winner of Jones vs. Gane ahead of last Saturday’s main event clash. ‘Bones’ has also expressed his desire to meet Miocic in the middle of the Octagon with UFC gold and heavyweight supremacy on the line.
That bout is expected to go down at UFC 290 in July as part of International Fight Week.
Transcription courtesy of MMA Mania
