All other things being equal, Jon Jones is an athlete on the level of Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan or Michael Schumacher.
It can only be qualified with superlatives.
In combat sports there are two classifications.
The classification by weight categories, and the classification "
pound for pound
" (often abbreviated P4P on social networks).
Either a somewhat arbitrary ranking, listing the fifteen best fighters in all categories, in proportion to their performance.
If there was a "
pound for pound
" in sports, entering the octagon against Jon Jones would be playing a football World Cup final, running the cent-meter at the Olympic Games against Usain Bolt, facing to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
To win, you don't have to be very good.
You have to be exceptional.
Saturday evening in Las Vegas (2 a.m. in France, RMC Sport), Ciryl Gane will face this challenge.
The two protagonists
Jon Jones, the fierce
This 35-year-old American became a UFC champion at just 23, a feat that will be very difficult to match one day.
Since then, he has done more fights to defend his belt than Ciryl Gane did in MMA fights.
He "
cleaned up
" his category, flying over more than two generations of fighters.
An absolute legend.
His nickname: “
bones
”.
Bones.
His legend is however inseparable from his extra-sporting setbacks: Jon Jones has in his wake a long list of cases of doping, violence, use of firearms, drugs, alcohol and other turpitudes.
Jon Jones in 2019. His tattoo (Philippians 4:13) refers to the following Bible verse: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
SEAN M. HAFFEY / AFP
His complete style is based on his struggle, on a lot of vice, and on the exorbitant advantage that is his reach (2 meters 14, organization record).
His boxing is quite correct, but no more.
On the other hand, it is extremely dangerous in the "
clinch "
“, that is to say in very close combat: when he is within range, he uses his elbows and knees with opportunity.
Vice: he does not hesitate to send oblique kicks on the knees of his opponent, which is legal but considered dishonorable.
He often leaves his hands open in front guard, at the risk of putting a finger in his opponent's eye.
And finally, his fearsome back elbow strikes sometimes land on the back of his opponent's head, bordering on legality.
His level in hand-to-hand combat is exceptional.
He never tries anything particularly creative in wrestling: all his art consists in executing classic movements such as the guillotine stranglehold or the Kimura key to near-technical perfection.
The very complete style that
Ciryl Gane, the gifted
This native of La Roche-sur-Yon born to a Guadeloupean father and a mother of metropolitan origin is 32 years old.
Endowed with an exceptional physique, he played football and basketball before taking up Thai boxing at the age of 24.
At 28, he had already wiped out all that France had of a serious opponent in his category.
An already exceptional feat.
After transitioning to MMA, he went from victory to victory, taking an intermediate belt in the UFC, before being stopped by his former teammate Francis Ngannou.
After winning his fight at the first UFC Paris, he has a title fight yet again.
There won't be many: you have to seize this chance.
Ciryl Gane prepares to face Tai Tuivasa at UFC Paris.
September 3, 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
Ciryl Gane has a very tactical fighting style.
His obsession, "
to touch without being touched
".
He capitalizes on his kicks from Thai boxing (especially front-kicks) to control distance, and moves a lot to force the opponent into making a mistake that he is quick to exploit.
His style is based on great situational intelligence and above-average foot-fist boxing technique.
In general Gane masters his fight, wearing down his opponent with regular blows that are not given at maximum power, before accelerating when he feels that it weakens significantly in front.
But impossible not to take into account the notorious weakness of his level in wrestling, due to his rapid transition to MMA and his lack of training.
There lies its second very great flaw.
By his own admission, Gane is a "
slacker
" who only really trains when a fight is officially scheduled.
Like too many brilliant students for whom everything is easy, he could be overtaken by a less gifted student who has become relentless due to the difficulty.
His nickname, “
good kid
”.
Like a perfume of nonchalance.
What are the predictions?
The biggest unknown is in the camp of Jon Jones.
The American has not entered an octagon for three years.
His last fights, especially against Thiago Santos and Dominik Reyes, were not flamboyant.
On the other hand, he is moving up a category: he was a king in light-heavyweight (-93kg), in what state of form will he present himself in heavyweight (-120kg)?
Official photographs suggest a mass gain not fully controlled.
There is a probability (very low but real all the same) that he is not at the maximum of his physical capacities.
Its optimal performances date from a time when the fight against doping was very different.
Will he get there without products?
Can his fighting style still be as relevant and effective for five rounds with this extra weight?
Read alsoMMA: heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou leaves the UFC
The other very big unknown is Ciryl Gane's wrestling defense.
The French lost (narrowly) against Francis Ngannou because of his takedown defense that was too fair for this level.
Against a fighter like Jon Jones, this sector of play is absolutely strategic.
His trainer, Fernand Lopez, told Le
Figaro
how he changed his training method for this fight.
For example, Ciryl trained with Shamil Gaziev, an excellent wrestler who is currently number one in the Brave FC organization.
Not quite the same size as Jon Jones (he weighs 136kg) but very tall.
As well as with champions of France.
On the other hand, the intensity of the workouts has increased from 70 to 95%.
Gane used to do rather calm sparring, now the intensity is there.
We can't be nice anymore.
Now training is getting closer to real combat conditions.
Objective, to have much more precise quantifiable measurements on fatigue.
» His team-mate and excellent fighter Nassourdine Imavov thinks that Gane has his chances if he remains equal to himself: «
let him stay at a distance, let him do as usual.
Managing the distance is the key
”.
Regarding the shots at the limit of the legality of Jon Jones, Fernand Lopez has planned two things.
A discussion with the referee: “
I will speak with Mark Goddard (a UFC official, editor’s note) as well as the refereeing staff.
When the referee arrives in the dressing room for final details, I will draw his attention to the fingers in the eye.
May there be strong warnings if this happens.
And some tactical adjustments.
For example, Ciryl will have her hand open and fingers like a grid in front of her eyes.
“
For oblique kicks, I would be surprised if he won this game
» Indicates Fernand Lopez, with regard to the footwork of his fighter.
Moreover, to develop her kicks without the risk of having them seized and then sent to the ground, Ciryl Gane will have to send them with much more conviction and speed.
It will also take a lot of explosiveness in the hips and arms to get out of Jones' holds.
An element taken into account in his physical preparation.
A slow and opportunistic Jon Jones, waiting for a movement error from Ciryl to get very close and send her to the ground
The scenario favored by observers is that of a slow and opportunistic Jon Jones, waiting for a movement error from Ciryl to get very close to it and send it to the ground to control it, facing a very concentrated Ciryl, counting on his tempo to wear down his opponent in order to finish him in the last two rounds.
Note that the odds have reversed: from a big favorite three weeks ago, Ciryl Gane swapped places with Jon Jones.
Probably because of his extreme relaxation which puzzles observers, including his opponent, who recognizes himself disconcerted in front of the videos of Ciryl doing dance competitions or Fifa with his training partners.
No other fighter to fight for a belt has ever shown such detachment in the face of the challenge.
Jon Jones
odds
: between 1.50 and 1.60
Ciryl Gane
's rating
: between 2.0 and 2.50
Where to watch the fight
In France it is the RMC sport channel which has the exclusivity of the fight.
It is possible to watch the fight with a subscription, or with the Combat Pass offer.
The preliminary card will begin live at 4 a.m., with the Gane vs. Jones fight around 6 a.m.
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