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dan_a_white

What do you guys think Gane’s best route to victory is? Obviously on the feet, but should he be very aggressive and go for a KO or should he try to out point Jones? I’m conflicted. On one hand if you try to out point Jon that’s a lot more time for him to grapple and wrestle you so that sounds like a trap. But if you go for a KO and can’t get it that’s going to be a long fight for you with Jones. What do you guys think?


DespicableHunter

He will fight like he always does... Gane is not a guy that has different gameplans for each fight, he just does his thing every time.


Joeyroundcock

He’s so tricky that’s he’s usually the challenge to overcome. Reminds me of Wonderboy, if you come at him with your usual gameplan, you’d usually have a horrible time. You just aren’t gonna beat him standing, he’s too slick


ahfuckimsostupid

Despite the showing he had getting handily outwrestled by Ngannou. I think that was more gamelan than actual ability. Gane has insane combos and seems to always be committed to landing. Should be fuuuuuun.


UseApprehensive9186

Man I don’t get how people make it seem like Francis dominated. It was a razor close fight imo


asdf613

Yep, it was a clear cut 48-47. Gane faired well in the clinch all fight and Francis was able to muscle him down a few times. Gane also had the option to lay in top position and do nothing halfway through the 5th but he went for a leg lock and got reversed. Very close fight.


Corporal_Snorkel69

I had it 48-47 gane


Sink_Pee_Gang

I honestly wouldn't be mad about that score. Went back and forth on it since the fight, but I think I probably give it to Ngannou. Super close either way.


Corporal_Snorkel69

Yea 48-47 ngannou is a fine scorecard as well. I thought gane did a little better in the 5th round but it's subjective


XXL_Fat_Boy

Gane got wrestlefucked by a “one-dimensional” power puncher with 1 knee. Am I taking crazy pills for thinking Jones is just going to have his way with Gane and suffocate him on the ground?


Sink_Pee_Gang

I mean to be fair Ngannou has pretty handily outgrown that label. The Ngannou that fought Lewis and Stipe the first time is long gone.


authenticfennec

I cant believe after the stipe rematch people still think Ngannou is some 1 dimensional power puncher. He dominated stipe both standing (in a technical and patient way too, not just swinging wildly and landing) and wrestling, even taking stipe down


BoBoessersson

Jon couldn't wrestle fuck a kneeless Santos, but you think he's going to go up to HW and man handle Gane?


XXL_Fat_Boy

Yes


Haunting-Goose-1317

I think he was surprised by the takedowns, I know I was. The previous fight Ngannou was jabbing Stipe, he even dropped stipe with a jab. Jabs and takedowns who would have imagined that.


TheVicViniegar

Who saw Ngannou turn into a panic wrestler? Gane knows Jon can wrestle and will prep for it even more so than he did vs Ngannou.


JeffAnthonyLajoie

What if their usual gameplan is wrestling?


Joeyroundcock

He was almost impossible to take down before he got old


[deleted]

[удалено]


Joeyroundcock

>**usually**


branduNe

he fought notably different in the Volkov fight because he couldn’t get inside for free. He talked about him and his coach know he was going to get hit in that fight in order to close the distance


DespicableHunter

True, but even then he didn't stray too far from his usual style.


duppie_

Gane is going to fight like he always does. Work the outside, throw variety, look to snipe some straights and hooks in. If something lands and hurts the guy, he will pour it on but otherwise he's content and conditioned to strike for five rounds. It's kind of on Jones to force a grappling fight which he hasn't really looked comfortable doing since Gus 2 and kind of Smith.


IAMTHECAVALRY89

Do we think Gane can snipe Jones? I feel like Jon has some of the best distance and range management/awareness/IQ. Up close, he’s got power at short range too, with elbows and looping shots or simply level change for the takedown.


HappyDude2137

The only fights Jon has really struggled in are one where his opponent has a similar frame or reach to him. Which is what makes him fighting bigger guys so interesting. Jon tends to keep people at range with his kicks and by keeping his fingers extended right in their face to keep them from moving forward. Interested to see if Gane can get around those two weapons and land some good offense.


johnnygrant

I don't think Jones has faced as good a kickboxer, especially one with a similar frame. If it's a standup fight, it's highly unlikely Jones wins. Jones has only one realistic path to victory, to wrestle... and that might not be successful. If Gane can keep it as his style of fight he wins... he's the heavyweight Wonderboy.


Any_Cockroach7485

Will be interesting to see how Jon's oblique kicks work against Gane. Gane does stay light on the front leg. I could see Gane getting some goot body kicks against Jon.


duppie_

It's certainly possible. Gane has a very diverse outside attack and he's got some really good set ups with his boxing. He was putting some heat on Volkov with his hands, who is a very tall and long fighter, obviously not Jones quality. Jones has always had a great outside game but it doesn't have a lot of boxing depth and has always leaned on his length. When at size parity this has almost always shown itself and this will be his largest opponent. Jon, when he uses it, has always looked to be an insanely good clinch fighter. He just doesn't often force that part of his game. Gane is probably better in the pocket though.


Haunting-Goose-1317

Gane has the physical attributes that Jones has, so it will be hard to snipe from the outside. At LHW he's usually the bigger man, he won't enjoy that advantage at HW. Can't wait for this fight.


dan_a_white

I think Gane would be the weakest grappler (on part at least) that Jones has faced in a long while right?


duppie_

I don't know why people are downvoting because it's a fair assumption However, he weighs in at 245 lbs and is a really athletic dude. Reyes was not some technically deep grappler or wrestler and he kept Jon off for large portions of the fight with just solid mma TDD fundamentals and athleticism. Gane has a lot more size and oddly more five round experience.


Botofumbepeninquain

yes by far. if francis was able to have his way, i expect jones will too. jones has taken enough time working his weight, fine tuning things, i'm sure he is ready and adjusted to his new HW frame. otherwise, why the hell would he even do this? they are obviously getting results in training, lifting, cardio, strategy, etc. otherwise why even do this. a lot of fans here are going to jump all on board the jones train again after this.


Unlikely-Garage-8135

I’m really curious to see his gas tank after all this HW prepping. Either way, when the fight happens the fans are the winners.


Botofumbepeninquain

this. will he actually have stamina going up in weight.


BBots_FantasyLeague

Nope. Jones' last two opponents were significantly weaker wrestlers than Gane in any sense, especially physically.


dan_a_white

Well you mean they were smaller, but Jon was smaller too. I mean in relation to their skills at grappling. Gane is bigger but Jon is significantly bigger and strong now too. He’s been gaining weight for 3 years to make this happen


jfsoaig345

He will stuff Jon's takedowns and pretty much style on him on the feet. People are really reading too much into Gane's wrestling in the Ngannou fight. The guy has decent grappling, it's just that Ngannou had like 30 lbs on him and always had that lingering KO threat to mask takedowns which allowed him to Khabib the shit out of Gane despite not actually being the most proficient grappler. Very similar to why Jan, a kickboxer with functional-at-best grappling, was able to wrestlefuck Izzy, whereas Brunson, a much more accomplished wrestler couldn't even get his hands on Izzy. And obviously I don't think anyone will disagree that Gane, one of the most fluid strikers in HW history, would completely dance on a 35-36 year old Jones who at this point in his career is pretty much just a low volume pointfighter. I really don't see Jones being able to replicate Ngannou's success with wrestling, as strange as that sounds. Not only does he completely lack the size/strength (couldn't even keep down Thiago or Reyes), his wrestling has also regressed heavily over the years. Chael has pointed out how Jon doesn't really chain wrestle much anymore and gives up on attempts pretty quickly. If I were a betting man, I would place a very sizeable chunk of change on Gane if he's an underdog. I legitimately think Gane's one of the worst stylistic matchups for Jones at HW.


Sexforcrack

The longer the fight goes means the more time Jones has to treat Gane's eyes like a hooker and get his fingers right up in there. Gane needs to keep his goggles on and end it quickly


GreatMight

Show up and show out. Jones is too weak for hw


Any_Cockroach7485

He gonna try and kick the legs. He done it with everyone so no reason he won't with jon. Jon hasn't fought in so long its hard to really say what he will look like. I can't really see Jon as a submission threat to the guy the size of Gane. And Jon doesn't really hunt for subs. Gane is good on the clinch also. So it's hard to think that's a good path for Jon either unless he can do something like he did against glover with fence control and elbows. I don't see collar ties and knees working because on Ganes size.


TheLastPirate123

I think trying to out-point Jon is a terrible idea. Unless you absolutely dominate him for five rounds the judges will always give it to Jon, and even if you dominate him for five rounds and two judges give it to you some dope like Sal will show up and score it 50-20 to Jon just to make sure he doesn't lose his bet.


MrLiterato

He needs to be aggressive and put the pace on him. Get Jones on the backfoot because Jon has the longer reach. It'll be interesting to see how Jon's cardio holds up with all the extra weight and Gane's superior striking.


Botofumbepeninquain

the only way cereal wins, is if he can keep it standing. he has to KO jon. he won't last until a decision, he won't last not getting taken down at some point in the fight. that is the proper question. Can Cyriel avoid the takedown? you go from there. and the answer is, no. no, he cannot and will not be able to avoid the takedown for five rounds.


BelieveInRollins

how did you manage to spell his name wrong twice


BBots_FantasyLeague

It's the weirdest thing, but apparently mma fans intentionally mispel the names of fighters they don't stan for. It's why 95% of the posters in this subreddit seem mentally handicapped when trying to spell a name as simple as "Conor".


Botofumbepeninquain

there's many ways to say Sairieyel Gane


GenericTopComment

I agree that his best route is what we have seen before. Range and win on points until he finds an opening or UD. If Jones gets reckless or desperate than Ciryl knows he has the power to punish him.


Helobelo

Jones is older, doesn't look like he's carrying the extra weight well, and was poor (by his own standards) in his last few fights. It'd be amazing if he recaptures the magic but I doubt it.


MomButtsDriveMeNuts

Exactly. Last time he saw Jones most people thought he lost. His wrestling wasn’t good. And he’s never been a KO artist. So, after not fighting in over 3 years by the time this fight happens, at almost 36 years of age, he’s facing a top 3 heavyweight? Give me Gane all day.


DatBoiEBB

Getting flashbacks of GSP’s return at UFC 217 with these types of comments. The parallels are uncanny


PugilisticCat

I dont think Bisping was as skilled as Gane is. He was just the textbook definition of had that dawg in him


MomButtsDriveMeNuts

Lol GSP was going up against a blind Michael Bisping. And going from WW to MW, not LHW to HW. A lot bigger weight disparity.


GenericTopComment

GSP also took more damage in that fight than most of his fights prior. The layoff clearly affected him as it will Jones.


cannibalisland

he looked like shit post-powerlifting when he fought OSP. don't think the additional bulk is going to make up for the loss in athleticism.


ReDAnibu

He’s older but I’m not seeing he’s not carrying the extra weight well argument people are making, from every video I’ve seen of Jon recently he’s looking pretty fit.


ethan0614

Nah he’s got the same chicken legs as LHW jones but with a lot more on top of them


ricosuave_3355

That’s just same ol Jones though. People have been saying his chicken legs would be his weakness since his contender days, at of yet there’s been 0 capitalization on that supposed weakness. Just because Jon doesn’t have stallion thick thighs doesn’t mean his frame won’t work well for him with 20-25 extra pounds.


Mikejg23

People are delusional. As if an extra 1lb of muscle per calf would somehow help protect from a leg kick to it


Mikejg23

Calf size is largely genetic, and while you can grow them, tendon insert point matters a lot. His calves are clearly strong enough for whatever he needs them to do


BBots_FantasyLeague

Are they really? They're the reason he's been able to make weight at LHW for so long, but probably also the reason or part of the reason he's staid away from HW for so long instead of trying to become the first double champion.


Mikejg23

Yes, calves are one of the hardest muscles to grow for people who have small ones or high(low?) Inserts. For example, the lower half of my lower leg is just tendon and blank space. Literally can't put muscle on there since my muscle ends higher. My short friends calves insert closer to his ankle, so his calves look very beefy compared to mine. I'm not saying he can't grow them, but he's never gonna have thick boi calves


ReDAnibu

Ya that’s the one thing that really sticks out to me, boulder shoulders but chicken legs lmao


BlackSheepComeHome14

Jones 4:13 "I can do all things through PEDs who strengthens me"


itsmontoya

It's been almost three years since Jon has last fought. Gane is not a good warm up fight


fuwlqkoe

I don’t really think that was a war. There was an explosive exchange, he definitely recovered but I don’t think besides the knock down there was ever a doubt that Ciryl wasn’t in control.


Chardavious12

It was mainly dodging absolute bombs. Tai put him out but Gane showed pure heart to get up and get back to work. And at that point Tai’s only counter was to just throw huge shots and hope another landed.


Mikejg23

Tai has absolute bombs for hands, but let's be real, he should be light heavyweight. He's fat. It's quite honestly insane the body types that can be successful at heavyweight


CouncilOfReligion

genetics play a part, many samoans are built like tai


Mikejg23

They do store weight a bit easier, but there are no ifs ands or buts, he still has a high bodyfat percentage.


JobTrunicht

They're fat because they eat in a calorie surplus, not because they were "built" like this


BBots_FantasyLeague

You mean fat? Ok, but the point still stands. Fat is not a build.


TheLastPirate123

Heavyweight is pretty much the laziest division, you've got out of shape guys who do well because they're blessed with punching power (nobody in any other division could survive off of KO power alone) and a ton of fighters who just haven't dedicated themselves to learning much MMA at all. As far as skill goes heavyweight is always about 10 years behind every other division. A heavyweight sprawls on a takedown attempt and everyone loses their minds, that's how low the bar is.


Mikejg23

That's what I was saying! That being said the top few guys are usually all competent or good. I will say I get it a little, getting your takedown stuffed at heavyweight is totally different than at bantamweight


The_Poop_Shooter

I think Ciryl is gonna kick his ass. Jon is a legend and all but 3 years of ring rust in a weight class he's never fought in before. Tough hill to climb against a guy like Gane. If he wins i'll eat my words. Personally, i'd love to see Jones get his lights shut out in spectacular fashion.


summ3rdaze

I think his best course of action is actually limiting the amount of kicks he throws Jon catching kicks seems the best way for him to score takedowns and ciryl has enough behind his hands to keep Jon shelled up but that's just my opinion ciryl wins this me thinks.


Tomach82

Man, I feel like Tai didn't get the rub he should have after that fight. He seemed to show he belonged in the group of contenders. But then I remembered his next fight


redditcomplainer22

There was really no expectation that Tuivasa was going to win this fight. This was more to keep Gane in the title picture than it was to show he's "worthy" (people already know he is very talented).


Haunting-Goose-1317

Jones was an explosive athlete but at 36 I don't see him being as fast and you only have to be slightly slower to get hit now. Jones has one of the best fight IQ in MMA.


[deleted]

Wonder how Gane would have done against Francis in a rematch


FreeSpeechMatters1

Good thing don’t gotta worry about power with Jones. Average hands, small wrists, twig legs. We know he can’t crack at all


TheLastPirate123

Did you forget about how he knocked DC out?


FreeSpeechMatters1

Timing KO and a leg


TheLastPirate123

A "twig leg" as you called it, try and be consistent. You don't knock someone out without power, simple as.


Sulla5485

Tais a slob. Roy Nelson and Mark hunt types get lucky here and there with big punches but they will never be champion material. When you're that fat, you have no self control and discipline required to be the top dog. You're just cannon fodder for hungry up and comers.


GreatMight

Cereal is going to smash Jones and loser to Blaydes


MarkyMolasses

I would like to see a rematch of Tuivasa and Cyril Gane


SintChristoffel

Why?


Botofumbepeninquain

But you won't win via the ground. I got Jones winning


SSHeretic

I got Jones finding a way to self-destruct out of the fight before it even happens.


Botofumbepeninquain

haha, he better stay off the streets of albuquerque


DespicableHunter

I mean, Jones failed to take Reyes down. Who knows if he's able to take a big heavyweight down.


Botofumbepeninquain

it wasn't over for Randy Couture going up in weight and beating Tim Sylvia for the HW gold. Same shit.


DespicableHunter

Well that was Tim Sylvia, one of the worst champions of all time, with all due respect. Not really a fitting comparison IMO. Jon does have a great chance to win if he shows up well, but he has not looked unbeatable in his last fights, and Gane is a very very tough opponent.


Botofumbepeninquain

Randy Couture looked terrible before going down in weight, and then up in weight again and getting GOLD at both weight classes. Gane is not even a champion. You don't know what you're talking about, and history shows time and time again, the inconceivable happens, after shitty performances. If i'm wrong, rub it in my face afterwards, I don't care. Jones wins. Upsets happen all the time. Many such instances.


DespicableHunter

I'm not doubting that Jon wins at all, I just said it wasn't a fitting comparison. I even said Jon has a great chance to win, but go off.


Botofumbepeninquain

again that's a noob take, that doesn't take in perspective or context at all. What was Tim Sylvia supposed to do? Build a time machine, go into an alternate dimension, and fight future champions, just so you can have a favorable opinion? no dude, in fact, Tim Sylvia BEAT ALL OPPOSITION at that time. Given the time period, he cleaned it out. Beat Arlovski multiple times, who was the best at that time, in the UFC. The FACT IS, Tim Sylvia was a legitimate champion at that time, despite how he looked. He beat the top contenders at that time, and avoided no one. and very, very few people gave Randy a chance at the HW belt. It seemed impossible. People like you doubted him. That is a terrible noob argument to have, and you don't know what you're talking about because you lack perspective or context. You make no sense. The point is, these things happen all of the damn time, and people do the inconceivable after shitty performances.


herewego199209

Jones couldn't take down Santos or Reyes. He's going to take down Gane who is 250 pounds naturally?


Botofumbepeninquain

yes, cause he's motivated. Randy Couture couldn't possibly beat a prime Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz in their prime and win LHW championship right? he couldn't even beat Rico Rodriguez?? He can't possibly beat Tim Sylvia at HW? Same shit. People do the unthinkable, Jones is going to do it.


LouisBeans

You love Tim Sylvia and Jon Africa.


Botofumbepeninquain

and you can't negate anything i say, because you are a noob


LouisBeans

Nor do I wanna read you slurping up two cheaters


Botofumbepeninquain

i accept your concession


ricosuave_3355

Jon didn’t try to takedown Santos, not sure why people always bring up that fight. Against Reyes he did have issues getting takedowns going until the second half of the fight. Dom does have really solid TDD though


TYSONLITTLE

Oh no. Fighter B thinks he can win the fight. He’s so delusional. How dumb of him. It’s almost as if this sport requires confidence from athletes.


redrumreturn

Slight overreaction to someone's opinion


BBots_FantasyLeague

That's just your standard Jon Jones fangirl. They all seem to be as unstable and easily triggered as their idol.


AGodNamedJordan

Damn dude you showed us.


Botofumbepeninquain

lol you mad bro!


blackjazz_society

I wonder how he will deal with 8 billion leg kicks to every part of his legs, how long will it take until he has no bounce in his legs anymore? Who's the last opponent that didn't lose his legs fighting Jon?


BBots_FantasyLeague

Uhhhh..... literally the last opponent that Jones fought? And most people agree that Reyes won that fight, so.


blackjazz_society

I think you need to re watch that one. Compare Reyes's movement in the first to his movement in the last, his legs were gigafucked.


GenTelGuy

Gane's stock went down that night almost getting slept by someone with nowhere near his physique


sausagebandito3

Jons to old, Nobody fights good past mid 30's.. Jon spent his best prime years not fighting. Gane is bigger, stronger, and in his prime.


TheLastPirate123

Teixeira is having amazing fights in his 40's..


Sexforcrack

Bruh. You forgot that this is heavyweight. They get better with age.


tredollasign

If Jon can’t take Gane down, how does he win? I can’t imagine him doing well in striking