‘Broader’ Jon Jones has 40-pound surprise for curious UFC fans

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who will (finally) make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 pay-per-view (PPV) main event, is ready to unveil version 2.0 and it sounds like “Bones” has made significant upgrades to the backend.

“One of the hardest things was not being able to lose my shape while still trying to pack on 40 pounds,” Jones said during a Twitter Spaces with Kanpai Pandas (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “I think when the fans see me, they’ll be surprised that I still look a lot like I used to — [although] my shoulders are a lot more broader, I freaking gained a whole bunch of ass, unfortunately — but just trying to keep that shape and doing it the right way.”

I guess the “skinny fat” days are officially over.

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CHAMPIONSHIP TRILOGY! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to The O2 in London England, on Sat., March 18, 2023, with newly-minted Welterweight kingpin, Leon Edwards, running it back with former 170-pound champion, Kamaru Usman, for a third (and likely final) time. In UFC 286’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, all-action Lightweight knockout artists, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, will lock horns with the winner inching closer to a future Lightweight title shot.

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Jones is challenging Gane for the vacant 265-pound title, abandoned by former champion Francis Ngannou after “The Predator” finished up his UFC contract. A victory for “Bones” is expected to set up a potential title defense against former champion Stipe Miocic.

A fight that has been on the table for several years.

“I’ve got my sights on Stipe Miocic,” Jones said. “I think it just means the most. There’s a lot of guys out there, but for me, personally, for my legacy, to defeat the greatest heavyweight of all-time, it just means the most to me. As far as how soon, hopefully I get out of this fight with no serious injuries, but I’d let to get [back] out there as soon as possible. My goal is anywhere from two to three fights depending on how it looks.”

The once-beaten Gane may have something to say about that.

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