Jon Jones' skinny ankles, even at heavyweight, may give Ciryl Gane the chance to produce a wildcard - Dan Hardy
Dan Hardy weighed in on the upcoming vacant heavyweight championship fight between Ciryl Gane and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 285.
During episode #253 of The War Room podcast, Hardy analyzed how both fighters match up with each other and highlighted Gane's striking, which could pose a threat to the former light heavyweight champion. He mentioned that 'Bones' stance and skinny ankles could be an area 'Bon Gamin' exploits.
He said:
"The one thing about Jon Jones that's not gonna look heavyweight is his ankles. Like, you get sh*t from Joe Rogan constantly about it like, 'Attack his legs. He's got skinny legs, attack his legs.'...pupper-body and his quads is gonna look like a heavyweight, but he's still gonna have those skinny ankles." [20:49 - 21:06]
'The Outlaw' brought up Gane's performance against former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and noted that he could be in a position where he could apply a heel hook or ankle lock. He mentioned that it's likely that the former interim heavyweight champion will have to fight off his back at some point during the fight, saying:
"There might be some wildcards to pull out the back pocket and the ankle lock might be one of those things because if I'm looking at Jon Jones and I'm trying to find a physical weakness, his ankle is probably the easiest thing to attack." [21:35 - 21:47]
It will be interesting to see whether 'Bones' replicates the success he had against fighters at 205lbs to heavyweight as 'Bon Gamin' moves very well for somebody his size and could pose a threat with his striking.
Check out the full video:
Will Jon Jones become a two-division UFC champion?
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No current UFC champion won their title before the age of 27.
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Jon Jones will attempt to become a two-division UFC champion when he fights Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight championship at UFC 285.
It is an intriguing matchup as 'Bones' will be making his heavyweight debut and many fans have wondered whether he can achieve the same level of success against larger opponents.
If 'Bones' is successful in his quest to become a two-division champion, it strengthens his argument of being the MMA GOAT. He could join the list of legends to have won a championship at light heavyweight and heavyweight, which includes Daniel Cormier and Randy Couture.