Jon Jones has "only one chance" to win against Cyril Gane's elite striking, says Shavkat Rakhmonov (Exclusive)
Shavkat Rakhmonov is one of the most complete mixed martial artists in the UFC today. A distinguished Master of Sport recipient in both sambo and MMA, Rakhmonov has displayed good fight IQ in his brief run with the organization.
Rakhmonov is scheduled to face Geoff Neal at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The event also marks the return of Jon Jones as he faces Ciryl Gane, and the MMA community at large is excited to witness 'Bones' back in action.
Given Jon Jones' vast experience inside the octagon, some fans believe that ring rust should not be an issue for the American on his comeback after a three-year hiatus. However, some fans believe that Jones will have his hands full against Gane, a former UFC interim heavyweight champion who is craftier and bigger than Jones.
In an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Sportskeeda MMA, Shavkat Rakhmonov shed light on how Jones can get the job done against Gane [via translator]:
"I don't really know in what shape Jon Jones is in right now. He hasn't fought for such a long time. Ciryl is a great striker. The only chance for Jones is to take this fight to the ground. If it is going to be a standup fight, Ciryl Gane is going to win."
Gane is perhaps one of the most elite heavyweight strikers in the sport at present. Hence, Rakhmonov's perspective makes sense. At UFC 270, during his title unification bout against Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian discovered that Gane was winning the striking exchanges. He swiftly switched to wrestling, which turned the tide in his favor and ultimately led to a unanimous decision victory. Jones, who is a great wrestler in his own right, may be able to exploit Gane's lack of grappling experience at UFC 285.
Check out our exclusive interview with Shavkat Rakhmonov below:
Shavkat Rakhmonov believes Islam Makhachev is undefeatable at lightweight right now
Islam Makhachev had the first successful defense of his lightweight throne at UFC 284 after a hard-fought victory over Alexander Volkanovski. A large section of the MMA community still holds the opinion that Makhachev lost the bout, and his aura of invincibility has been shattered.
Despite this, it may be argued that Makhachev showed tenacity and determination en route to his unanimous decision victory. The Dagestani is undefeated in 12 fights inside the octagon.
Shavkat Rakhmonov, who boasts an unblemished 16-0 MMA record (4-0 in the UFC), claimed in the aforementioned exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA that Makhachev is undefeatable at 155-pounds right now:
"As of now, I don't see anyone beating Islam in the near future...But nothing lasts forever, situation can change... At the moment, I don't see anyone beating him."