Joe Rogan and Belal Muhammad break down the Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane fight
Joe Rogan and Belal Muhammad provided their breakdowns for Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane.
The UFC heavyweight division is starting a new chapter after reigning champion Francis Ngannou parted ways with the promotion. As a result, Jones and Gane will fight for the vacant title on March 4 at UFC 285.
During a recent episode of the JRE MMA Show, Rogan was joined by Muhammad to discuss various combat sports topics. The legendary UFC commentator had this to say about the upcoming undisputed heavyweight championship fight:
“Very interesting fight. So, for Jon, it’s gonna be, can Jon take him down? How does Jon perform at heavyweight? Can Jon close the distance? Is he as fast? What was the three years off like? Is he hungrier and even better because he’s fired up?”
There are several intriguing factors in the UFC 285 main event. ‘Bones’ hasn’t fought in three years after focusing on preparing his body for the heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Gane is coming off an impressive win against Tai Tuivasa but previously revealed a hole in his skills by being out-grappled against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270.
Watch Joe Rogan and Belal Muhammad discuss Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane below:
Belal Muhammad weighs in on his breakdown of Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane
Jon Jones was rumored to potentially be fighting Francis Ngannou before ‘The Predator’ left the UFC. Despite Ngannou being considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Belal Muhammad believes Ciryl Gane could be a tougher matchup for Jones. During the same podcast with Joe Rogan, Muhammad gave his opinion on ‘Bones’ fighting Gane, starting with a hot take:
“Honestly, I think it’s a tougher fight than Francis [Ngannou]. I do. I think Ciryl Gane, his movement, his footwork. He’s so good with his front leg, and for Jon Jones, remember when he came back from OSP? He looked so stiff. That was a time off and putting a lot of muscle on. He just looked like a slower version of himself…”
Belal Muhammad continued by saying:
“This time, it’s a longer time off, and you’re coming back with way more weight on, and you’re going against one of the faster heavyweights, one of the more smoother heavyweights. Instead of Ngannou, where, you know, he lands that hard punch, I can do that, but I can just shoot under that hard punch. Ciryl Gane, you have to watch the kicks, watch the footwork, cut him off…”
The anticipation for Jones to make his Octagon return has been paired with a generational heavyweight talent as an opponent. Although Gane is being questioned after losing to Ngannou, ‘Bon Gamin’ still has an agile fighting style that can cause problems for any opponent. On March 4, the new UFC heavyweight king will claim his throne.