Jon Jones is backing Ciryl Gane if the UFC returns to Gane vs. Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title picture.
In a latest Ring Magazine interview, Jones pointed to Gane’s UFC Freedom 250 win over Alex Pereira and the early minutes of Gane’s first fight with Aspinall. That UFC 321 bout ended in a no contest after an eye poke, while Gane later stopped Pereira at the White House to win the interim heavyweight belt.
“I think Gane is going to win,” Jones said. “When you become the champion and you beat a man like Alex Pereira, it has to do something for your confidence. And even in Gane’s first fight against Aspinall, Tom was looking pretty invincible until Ciryl came on. Most people feel that Gane was winning that fight. So I feel like Gane’s confidence has to be at an all-time high.”
Jones Says Gane Has His Support
Jones also went back to March 2023, when he submitted Gane in the first round at UFC 285 to win the vacant heavyweight title. His read on Gane changed after a private backstage exchange following that fight.
“I tell you, the night that I fought Gane in March 2023, we were backstage and talking to the doctor after the fight,” Jones said. “He came to me privately when I was with the doctor. At that moment, he just seemed so much bigger than just moments before. He stood up in front of me. He looked me in the eye. He shook my hand and he said, ‘I’ll be back. We’re going to do this again.’ And he said it like he meant it. That taught me a lot about his character right then.”
“He wasn’t mad, wasn’t bitter,” Jones said. “He was a great sportsman. He seemed more destined and determined than ever, to the point where I was slightly intimidated. Because I’m like, ‘Dude, I just choked you out minutes ago and you’re looking at me like you’re ready for round two.’ So I believed him when he said, ‘I’ll be back.’ Now he’s back, just against different competition. He has my support.”
“I love the class that he carries, and I think he’s a great representative for France and for the UFC, and I hope he does really well for a really long time,” Jones said.
The pick adds another layer to a heavyweight scene that already runs through Aspinall’s recovery, Gane’s White House momentum, and Jones keeping the door open to another UFC offer in related comments. Aspinall has been waiting for the next title date, while Gane’s win over Pereira forced the rematch question back into the center of the division.
Jones is not neutral in tone here. He beat Gane quickly, watched Gane rebound years later, and now says the same fighter has the confidence and composure to beat the current UFC heavyweight champion.
