UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
Introduction
UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane took place on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was Jon Jones's first UFC fight since February 2020, his move to heavyweight after a decade of light-heavyweight dominance, and the night he won the vacant UFC heavyweight title in the first round. The card also produced one of the biggest upsets in women's division history: Alexa Grasso submitting Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main. The card produced an estimated 750,000 pay-per-view buys and a $15.2 million live gate — the highest non-McGregor UFC gate in promotion history.
Jon Jones had not fought since his UD win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020 — a three-year, one-month absence. He had vacated the UFC light-heavyweight title in August 2020 and spent the three years preparing for the heavyweight division. His heavyweight debut at UFC 285 was one of the most-anticipated comebacks in UFC history.
The fight lasted 2:04 of round one. Jones clinched Gane immediately, worked him against the cage, secured a double-underhook position at 1:00, and transitioned into a guillotine choke from top position at 1:50. Gane tapped at 2:04. Jon Jones was the UFC heavyweight champion.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 20,229 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $15.2 million (highest non-McGregor UFC gate in promotion history)
📺 PPV Buys: ~750,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane — Vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship (265 lbs)
✅ Result: Jones def. Gane via Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 2:04
🥇 Co-Main: Alexa Grasso def. Valentina Shevchenko (c) via Submission (rear-naked choke) — R4, 4:01 — Women's Flyweight Title
The Build-Up
Jon Jones had vacated the UFC light-heavyweight title in August 2020 after his UFC 247 win over Reyes. He had cited contract disputes and a desire to compete at heavyweight as his reasons. The three-year buildup — the muscle mass addition, the heavyweight sparring camps, the multiple delayed fight announcements against Stipe Miocic and others — was one of the most-discussed UFC storylines of the post-COVID era.
Ciryl Gane had earned the title shot through his interim heavyweight title win against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 and his subsequent TKO loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270. With Ngannou released from the UFC in January 2023, the heavyweight title became vacant. Gane was the consensus #1 contender; Jones was the returning legend. Jones was a -250 favourite.
The co-main was Valentina Shevchenko defending the flyweight title against Alexa Grasso — a 27-year-old Mexican fighter making her first UFC title shot. Shevchenko was a -800 favourite; Grasso was +525.
Main Event: Jones vs. Gane
The fight lasted 2:04. Jones clinched Gane immediately, worked him against the cage, and secured a double-underhook body lock at 0:45. Gane defended for 45 seconds before Jones transitioned into an attempted takedown. As both men went to the canvas, Jones worked into a top position and established a guillotine choke grip at 1:50. Gane tapped at 2:04.
Jon Jones was the UFC heavyweight champion. The guillotine at heavyweight — his first UFC submission finish — confirmed that the three years of preparation had produced a genuinely new skill set for the new division. In his post-fight interview, Jones was emotional: "This is what I came back for. This is the biggest achievement of my career."
Jones would not defend the title for nearly 18 months due to a pectoral injury sustained in training. He returned at UFC 309 in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic (TKO R4) before suffering a torn ACL in training that forced another layoff. He remains the UFC heavyweight champion into 2025.
Co-Main Event: Shevchenko vs. Grasso
Round one was Shevchenko's. The champion used her striking volume and her clinch knees to control the round. Round two was Grasso's — the challenger's combination striking wobbled Shevchenko twice. Round three was Shevchenko's, who used her grappling to control the canvas. Going into round four, the fight was roughly even.
Round four changed UFC history. At 2:30 of round four, Grasso landed a clean left hook that hurt Shevchenko. She pressed the champion against the cage, worked into back-mount, and locked in a rear-naked choke at 3:45. Shevchenko tapped at 4:01. Alexa Grasso was the UFC women's flyweight champion — the biggest upset in women's flyweight division history.
Grasso and Shevchenko would rematch at Noche UFC in September 2023 (draw) and at UFC 306 in September 2024 (Shevchenko TKO R4, regaining the title). The trilogy was one of the most-discussed women's flyweight rivalries of the modern era.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Jon Jones def. Ciryl Gane — Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 2:04 — Vacant Heavyweight Title
Alexa Grasso def. Valentina Shevchenko (c) — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R4, 4:01 — Women's Flyweight Title
Bo Nickal def. Jamie Pickett — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R1, 2:37 — Middleweight (UFC debut)
Dominick Reyes def. Ryan Spann — TKO (punches) — R2, 4:05 — Light Heavyweight
Julian Marquez def. Eryk Anders — TKO (punches) — R1, 4:39 — Middleweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Dricus du Plessis def. Derek Brunson — TKO (punches) — R4, 3:56 — Middleweight
Sodiq Yusuff def. Don Shainis — KO (head kick) — R2, 1:07 — Featherweight
Jared Gordon def. Grant Dawson — Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — Lightweight
Niko Price def. Alex Morono — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Jon Jones — $50,000 for the first-round guillotine choke submission of Ciryl Gane.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Alexa Grasso — $50,000 for the fourth-round rear-naked choke submission of Valentina Shevchenko.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Dricus du Plessis — $50,000 for the fourth-round TKO of Derek Brunson.
Records & Milestones
• Jon Jones became a two-division UFC champion (light-heavyweight 2011-2020, heavyweight 2023-present) — only the fifth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes.
• $15.2 million live gate — the highest non-McGregor UFC live gate in promotion history at the time.
• Alexa Grasso (+525 underdog) — the biggest upset in women's flyweight division history.
• Jones's guillotine choke — his first UFC submission finish across 28 UFC fights.
• Bo Nickal's UFC debut — the three-time NCAA wrestling champion (Penn State) won his first UFC bout by rear-naked choke in 2:37.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 285 is remembered as the night Jon Jones completed his transition to heavyweight and the night Alexa Grasso produced the biggest upset in women's flyweight history. The Jones guillotine of Gane in 2:04 — a submission finish in his first heavyweight fight — confirmed that the three years of preparation had produced a genuinely competitive heavyweight. The $15.2 million live gate was the highest non-McGregor UFC gate in promotion history.
For Jon Jones, UFC 285 was the start of a heavyweight title reign extended through injury-related inactivity. He returned at UFC 309 in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic (TKO R4) and has remained the UFC heavyweight champion into 2025. His two-division title status makes him only the fifth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes.
For Alexa Grasso, the upset was the most significant win in Mexican MMA history. She drew with Shevchenko at Noche UFC in September 2023, then lost the title at UFC 306 in September 2024 (Shevchenko TKO R4). Her reign lasted approximately 18 months.
For Ciryl Gane, the loss was a reset. He went on to fight Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023 (TKO R1 loss), then rebuilt with UD wins over Serghei Spivac and Alexander Volkov into 2024. For Dricus du Plessis, the TKO of Derek Brunson at UFC 285 was the launching pad for his middleweight title shot — he would defeat Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August 2024 by UD to win the undisputed middleweight title.
FAQ
Was Jones actually ready for heavyweight?
The guillotine choke at 2:04 suggests yes. Jones's ability to physically control Ciryl Gane from the first clinch exchange confirmed that the three years of mass addition and heavyweight-specific training had been effective. His reported walk-around weight of approximately 265-270 lbs allowed him to compete without a substantial frame disadvantage. The quick finish meant we didn't see his gas tank at heavyweight, but the physical transformation was convincing.
How was Grasso vs. Shevchenko the biggest upset in women's flyweight history?
Shevchenko had defended the flyweight title six times. Grasso was a +525 underdog — the largest odds against a flyweight challenger in division history. The fourth-round rear-naked choke of the six-time defending champion was a result that almost no pre-fight model had projected at any significant probability. Her closest prior defense had been the split-decision against Taila Santos at UFC 275.
Is Jones the GOAT?
The Jones-GOAT debate is the most-contested in MMA history. His career record of 27-1 (1 NC) with 11 consecutive UFC light-heavyweight title defenses and the UFC 285 heavyweight title win places him at or near the top of any all-time ranking. The counterarguments include his multiple USADA violations, the controversial nature of several decisions, and the extended inactivity periods. No objective consensus exists; the debate remains genuinely contested.
Did Jones defend the heavyweight title?
Once, as of mid-2025. He defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024 (TKO R4) for his first heavyweight title defense, then suffered a torn ACL in training that forced another layoff. He has remained the UFC heavyweight champion into 2025.
How does UFC 285 compare to UFC 284?
UFC 285 drew approximately 750,000 PPV buys versus UFC 284 (650,000) three weeks earlier. The 100,000-buy jump reflected Jon Jones's return after a three-year absence. The $15.2 million live gate more than doubled UFC 284's $9.8 million.
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