5 reasons why Jon Jones will defeat Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones is possibly the greatest natural talent in MMA history. The former 205'er was a record-setting champion in the UFC light heavyweight division.

However, after his tenure at 205 lbs came to an unremarkable but still unbeaten (barring a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill) run, 'Bones' announced his heavyweight debut.

Fans have been clamoring to see Jon Jones compete against the UFC's 265'ers since the days of Cain Velasquez. Unfortunately, that dream matchup never came to fruition, nor did a highly anticipated bout with Francis Ngannou. Instead, 'Bones' will face former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.

The two will challenge each other for the vacant heavyweight throne at UFC 285. While it may very well be the former light heavyweight's toughest test to date, this list examines all the reasons why he could emerge victorious.

#5. Jon Jones is the first skilled kicker Ciryl Gane will face

Two trends have followed Ciryl Gane's career. His opponents fear his kicks, and they become frustrated by their inability to hit him cleanly. Oftentimes, his opponents become so preoccupied with protecting themselves that they don't do much else other than check his low kicks.

Furthermore, his more offensively-minded foes get frustrated by 'Bon Gamin's elusive footwork and defensive striking that they try to bum-rush him and run into counters. However, the Frenchman has never faced an educated kicker like Jon Jones.

Elbows...
Front kicks...
Spinning back fists...

#OnThisDay in 2011, @JonnyBones dominated and then knocked out the legendary Shogun Rua 👑

The youngest UFC champion in history 🙌 https://t.co/vt3XFrcoUi

'Bones' is a dynamic kicker well-equipped to punish someone with Gane's stance. The Frenchman often stands wide with a bladed stance, which overexposes his lead leg. Given Jones' eye for kicks, Gane's lead leg will be abused by push-kicks and oblique kicks that will snap his kneecap back every time he steps forward.

After absorbing enough of these kicks, 'Bon Gamin's movement will be seriously compromised and he'll become a stationary target - easier to outstrike and outwrestle.

#4. Jon Jones' cardio

Ciryl Gane has excellent cardio for a heavyweight. Unfortunately, his cardio—as is the case with many others—is conditional.

The Frenchman's cardio is supreme whenever he is in a position to dictate the terms of engagement in his bouts. If Gane can keep the fight on the feet, he'll always have enough left in the tank. This principle is true for most fighters with great cardio. Max Holloway, for example, dictates the terms of engagement in nearly every bout he's in.

#OnThisDay in 2015: Rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier went to war for five rounds! 🏆

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However, 'Bon Gamin' does not have the same level of cardio when he's forced to wrestle. Jon Jones' cardio has been tested under every condition inside the octagon and never found wanting.

If 'Bones' can force the Frenchman into wrestling and clinching with him, 'Bon Gamin' will likely wilt just as he did against Francis Ngannou. Furthermore, even if Ciryl Gane avoids such a scenario, he'll still be facing a foe with a larger gas tank than himself, which is a tough ask for anyone.

#3. Jon Jones' wrestling skill set

The thing surrounding the supposed deterioration of Jon Jones' wrestling skills is that they were never otherworldly to begin with. 'Bones' wrestling ability hinged on him being taller and longer than his opponents. His Greco-Roman style takedowns relied on the leverage he generated from his superior height and length.

His double-leg takedowns relied on the length of his arms. Every time his foes spread their legs wide to widen their base, his arms were still long enough for him to hook his hands together. However, every generation fields fighters larger than those who came before.

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Thus, it was harder for Jones to outwrestle the likes of Alexander Gustafsson and Dominick Reyes, who matched his dimensions better than someone like Quinton Jackson.

Thankfully, 'Bones' seems to have recognized that he was in need of a more technical approach. He has been training with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo for a year.

'Triple C' is one of the finest wrestlers in MMA history. If he has improved Jon Jones' wrestling nearly half as much as he did Zhang Weili's, 'Bones' will be able to impose his will on 'Bon Gamin'.

#2. Jon Jones has more championship experience

Ciryl Gane has had three five-round fights in his career thus far. While he performed admirably in them, barring his loss to Francis Ngannou, he'll be out of his element against Jon Jones. 'Bones' has had more title fights than the Frenchman has had UFC fights.

#OnThisDay in 2013: @AlexTheMauler and @JonnyBones went to war for five rounds! Rematch? 🤔

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It's even strange to think of Jon Jones fighting in a non-five-round fight. His experience in the championship rounds will be integral to his performance in their bout. Jones knows how to pace himself for a hard push in the championship rounds. This is something that Gane is yet to showcase.

Additionally, the Frenchman is unused to perilous situations that present themselves in a protracted contest, which is why he attempted an ill-advised leg-lock against Francis Ngannou. His inexperience will cost him when paired against the former 205'er who has a wealth of experience.

#1. The element of psychology

Ciryl Gane is a confident fighter. Any mixed martial artist who achieves the success that he has gains a depth of confidence that's foreign to the common man. But will that confidence hold true once he's standing inside the octagon with Jon Jones?

'Bones' has never truly lost an MMA bout. He was once disqualified from a fight that he was dominating, but he's been spotless in every other instance. Furthermore, not only is Jones technically undefeated, he has looked invincible at times.

Jon Jones believes he was chosen by God to be undefeated.🥶
#UFC285 #UFC #MMA https://t.co/wZlCLhkWbF

What does the Frenchman think of his future foe's wrestling after failing to stop the takedowns of an unseasoned wrestler like Francis Ngannou? It's difficult to imagine the Frenchman not being somewhat afraid of 'Bones' wrestling abilities.

If Gane fails to learn from his mistakes against Francis Ngannou, he'll have mentally lost the bout before setting foot inside the octagon. If everyone loses to Jon Jones, will he be next?