One of the biggest fights of the year is here.
Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, returns to action after a long hiatus to face Ciryl Gane, the top-ranked heavyweight fighter, for the vacant heavyweight title.
UFC 285 takes place tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET and airs exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. Order the PPV now to watch Jones vs. Gane and every other fight live.
Here’s what you need to know about this blockbuster event:
Jones (26-1-1) is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. He dominated the light heavyweight division for almost a decade, defending his belt a record eight consecutive times against some of the best fighters in history.
However, Jones vacated his title last year to pursue his dream of becoming a heavyweight champion. He has been bulking up and preparing for his debut in the new weight class ever since.
Gane (11-1) is one of the most impressive prospects in the heavyweight division. He has won five of his UFC fights by knockout or submission, showcasing his diverse skill set and athleticism.
If Jon Jones is victorious at UFC 285, he will become only the eighth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes, joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, Georges St-Pierre, Randy Couture, and BJ Penn.
The co-main event features another title fight between Valentina Shevchenko (23-3), the reigning UFC flyweight champion, and Alexa Grasso (15-3), the #6 ranked contender.
Shevchenko has been unstoppable since moving down to flyweight in 2018. She has defended her belt seven times with four finishes, cementing her status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA.
Grasso has won all four of her last fights, including a unanimous decision over Viviane Araujo late last year. She has shown improvement in her striking and grappling skills since joining Team Lobo MMA in Mexico City.
The rest of the main card features some exciting matchups between rising stars and veterans:
- Geoff Neal (15-4) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0) – welterweight
- Mateusz Gamrot (21-2) vs. Jalin Turner (13-5) – lightweight
- Jamie Pickett (13-8) vs. Bo Nickal (3-0) – middleweight
The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and feature some intriguing bouts:
- Cody Garbrandt (12-5) vs. Trevin Jones (13-9) – bantamweight
- Derek Brunson (23-8) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (18-2) – middleweight
- Viviane Araujo (11-4) vs. Amanda Ribas (10-3) – flyweight
- Julian Marquez (9-3) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (14-6) – middleweight
The early prelims start at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and will get the action underway with five fights featuring prospects and veterans.
- Ian Machado Garry (10-0 vs. Song Kenan (19-6) – welterweight
- Mana Martinez (10-3) vs. Cameron Saaiman (7-0) – bantamweight
- Jessica Penne (14-6) vs. Tabatha Ricci (7-1) – strawweight
- Da’Mon Blackshear (12-4-1) vs. Farid Basharat (9-0) – bantamweight
- Loik Radzhabov (16-4-1) vs. Esteban Ribovics (11-0) – lightweight