Jon Jones doubts if Ciryl Gane "matches his energy" about the seriousness of the title fight

Jon Jones' focus heading into his heavyweight debut at UFC 285 has been apparent. The longtime light heavyweight champion, who is set to return to the octagon against Ciryl Gane this weekend after a three-year hiatus, recently questioned whether his opponent has a dog inside of him.

THE WORLD WILL BE WATCHING 👑🌎

Your official #UFC285 poster has landed!! https://t.co/k5ty3M9VEo

Speaking at the media day for UFC 285, 'Bones' discussed the difference between Ciryl Gane's mentality and his own, stating:

"I feel like I fight from something a little bit different. There's a dog inside of me. During the countdown, his coach was like, 'for the Tai Tuivasa fight, we focused on bringing out Ciryl's dog'. I don't feel like that's something your coach should have to teach you about being a dog. Either you have it or you don't. I know that I'm a dog at the end of the day."

Jon Jones added:

"I have a dog in me, I have a lion in me, I have a vicious warrior inside of me. It's who I am and losing is not an option. It's not just a sporting event to me, this is my life, this is my image, this is my legacy, this is me. My reasons why are really big. I don't know if his energy matches mine when it comes to the seriousness of how I take this fight and this game."

While Jones has appeared laser focused in the lead-up to the fight, his opponent has made statements that have created questions about his focus. 'Bones' noted that Gane's comments could be a ploy, however, he is not falling for it. 'Bon Gamin' has notably claimed that he doesn't train until a fight is announced, while noting that it is just a sport and life will continue whether he wins or loses.

Watch Jon Jones' comments on being a dog below:

Jon Jones knows he has the "dog inside," but wonders if Ciryl Gane does as well 😤

"I don’t feel like that’s something your coach should have to teach you, about being a dog. Either you have it or you don’t."

Full #UFC285 scrum ▶️ youtu.be/p3Dd-SJ7U7c https://t.co/LlntcnvMyT

Jon Jones' focus is on being the greatest of all-time, not pound-for-pound king

Jon Jones is generally considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time. While speaking with Jimmy Smith of MMA on Sirius XM, 'Bones' recently revealed that he believes a victory at UFC 285 would solidify his case, stating:

"I want to perform at the highest level possible. I want to look great, and not only do I want to win, I want to dominate, but no, I'm not really thinking about the pressure of being pound-for-pound king. We all have our time of looking the absolute best in the world. I'm fighting for something that I believe is bigger, which is the greatest of all time, and I do believe a victory over [Ciryl] Gane solidifies that."

Jones' resume is likely the greatest in mixed martial arts history due to his dominance of the light heavyweight division, which saw him defeat multiple legends in a run that lasted over a decade. While 'Bones' already has the most title fight wins and is tied for the most title defenses in UFC history, a victory at UFC 285 would make him just the eighth fighter in promotional history to win a title in two weight classes.

Catch Jon Jones' comments on being the greatest of all time below: