Jon Jones reveals the next opponent he is eyeing after Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones is set to make his long awaited return to the UFC octagon in March. The former light heavyweight champion will square off against Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285. The bout will also mark Jones' debut at heavyweight after a three-year hiatus from active competition.

𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇. 𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂! 🦴

#UFC285 | Saturday, 4 March | Live on BT Sport https://t.co/mH7UbLIboD

Jones was originally expected to face Francis Ngannou in his comeback fight. However, Ngannou's surprise exit from the UFC meant the 35-year-old would face the No.1-ranked contender Gane for the vacant title instead.

Jones is already looking ahead of his title bout in March and has named Stipe Miocic as the opponent he'd like to face after 'Bon Gamin'. 'Bones' also "guaranteed" the fans atleast another two fights out of him.

In a recent interview with John Morgan from MMA Underground, Jones was asked about his goals going forward, to which he replied:

“My immediate goal is to beat Ciryl Gane and to beat Stipe Miocic, after that, it’ll be conversations with the UFC to see what makes sense. But I am guaranteeing the fans at least two more fights out of me.”

Watch the full interview below:

Stipe Miocic's last appearance inside the octagon was his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou. The former heavyweight champion has been bulking up in preparation for his return and recently called for the winner of Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane in July.

Stipe has his eyes set on the winner of Gane-Jones 👀 https://t.co/XZtVBD0Pxo

Place your bets for the upcoming UFC fight night main card and earn $$$

Jon Jones admits Francis Ngannou would've been a bigger fight for his heavyweight debut

Jon Jones will finally make his heavyweight debut in the main event of UFC 285 at the T-Mobile Arena on March 5 for the vacant heavyweight title. While Ciryl Gane is certainly a formidable foe, a fight against Francis Ngannou would've been massive.

Ngannou notably holds a narrow win over Gane, and is also far more popular. In the same interview, Jones admitted that 'The Predator' was "the more intimidating of the two" and that Gane is "relatively unknown":

“I feel like Francis is the more intimidating of the two. I feel like just as far as Americans go he’s more known in America. Francis was this big, scary, intimidating man, where Ciryl is relatively unknown... Obviously, Francis had the belt. Taking it from him would’ve been nice."

Jon Jones opened as a favorite, but is currently an underdog to Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 📉

📰 bit.ly/JonesGaneOdds https://t.co/RVfGDc9pAi