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LAS VEGAS — Jon Jones spent more than two years packing on the pounds, prepping for his move up to heavyweight. The result: The former longtime UFC light heavyweight champion actually weighed more than his opponent Friday morning.
Jones hit the scale at 248 pounds, which is 43 more pounds than he would weigh in for UFC light heavyweight title fights. Ciryl Gane, Jones’ opponent and an experienced heavyweight, weighed 247.5 pounds at the UFC Apex. Jones and Gane will fight for the vacant UFC heavyweight title Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
While some fans on social media pointed out the noticeable fat around Jones’ belly compared to the typical six-pack he had while fighting at 205 pounds, the former champ was also notably more muscular in his chest and arms than he was previously.
Jones (26-1, 1 NC) owns UFC records for the longest unbeaten streak (18), title fight wins (14) and consecutive title defenses (11, tied with Demetrious Johnson). The New York native, who lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has not fought since successfully defending his light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes on Feb. 8, 2020. Jones, 35, has never really lost in the cage — his lone defeat was via disqualification in a fight he was dominating back in 2009.
Gane (11-1) is coming off a third-round knockout win over Tai Tuivasa in September. The France native has won eight of his nine fights in the UFC. Gane, 32, fought former champion Francis Ngannou and lost at UFC 270 in January 2022. He is the former interim heavyweight champion. Ngannou departed the UFC as a free agent earlier this year and dropped the title.
Both co-main event fighters also made weight. Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso both weighed 124.5 pounds ahead of Shevchenko’s UFC women’s flyweight title defense.
Geoff Neal missed weight by 4 pounds, coming in at 175 pounds for a nontitle welterweight bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov. Neal will be fined 30% of his purse and the fight will go on.
Mana Martinez also missed weight, coming in at 137 pounds, 1 pound over the nontitle bantamweight limit. Martinez will be fined 40% of his purse, and his scheduled bout with Cameron Saaiman will go on.
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