The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to deliver another stacked card with UFC 285 on March 4th. The main event will feature two titans of the sport, Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane, competing for the vacant heavyweight title.
Jones, who hasn’t fought in three years, was last seen in the Octagon in 2020 when he defeated Dominick Reyes via unanimous decision, though some felt that Reyes won that fight. Gane, on the other hand, lost his shot at the title to Francis Ngannou in their highly anticipated clash. Despite the setback, Gane rebounded with a dominant win over Tai Tuivasa and has shown he can handle pressure and unplanned situations. Gane is the number one heavyweight in the world and Jones, will have to deal with someone in Gane whose size, and strength is beyond anything he faced in the light heavyweight division.
In the co-main event, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will defend her title against Alexa Grasso. Shevchenko is the heavy favorite in the matchup, having participated in only one close bout in her title defenses since 2019. Grasso, ranked fifth in the division, will have her first chance at a title on the strength of four straight wins since moving to flyweight from strawweight. Shevchenko looked mortal in her last fight against Talia Santos who was the heavy underdog and took Shevchenko down multiple times. Shevchenko’s aura of invincibility might have taken a hit and has emboldened opponents like Grasso and even Erin Blanchfield to come out and say they feel confident they can beat the 7- time defending flyweight champion.
Mateusz Gamrot will face off against Jalin Turner with a potential top-10 ranking at stake. Gamrot possesses a diverse set of abilities that make him a formidable opponent. He has achieved knockout victories in two out of his four wins in the UFC, showcasing his striking prowess. Additionally, Gamrot is well-versed in wrestling, which makes him a threat to take the fight to the ground or defend against takedowns. His experience in competition grappling, highlighted by his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, gives him an advantage in grappling exchanges. What makes Turner dangerous is that he is a physical freak for the lightweight division. With a height of 6’3 and a 77-inch arm reach, Turner has a size advantage over almost anyone in the division. He will be counting on his power and his submission techniques as he has ended multiple of his opponents either by rear naked choke or by knockout.
Another exciting matchup to keep an eye on at UFC 285 will be the debut of middleweight prospect Bo Nickal. Nickal was originally scheduled to fight at UFC 282 but withdrew due to injury. He is considered one of the top MMA prospects in recent history, having dominated college wrestling at Penn State and remaining undefeated in his MMA career. Nickal’s allure is similar to that of a young Connor McGregor or Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, who if he can defeat his much more experienced opponent Jamie Pickett, will be fast-tracked and put into a position where he will be possibly fighting the top 15 fighters by his third fight.
ROLLO” S TAKE:
UFC 285 is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing cards in a year that has already seen previous stacked cards live up to the hype. In the wild card fight between Bo Nickal and Jamie Pickett, I expect Nickal to live up to the hype and show off his incredible wrestling and grappling skills and come out on top with the win. For Gamrot vs. Turner, I expect a close fight, similar to Gamrot’s battle versus Arman Tsarukyan. Although Turner has struggled with wrestlers in the past, I am picking Turner to upset Gamrot as his power and reach will help neutralize Gamrot’s wrestling. As for the women’s co-main event bout, I expect Shevchenko to make a statement in this bout. For the past months, whispers of her skills possibly diminishing will serve as fire as her focus will be laser sharp. I expect the champion to dispose of Grasso rather easily within 3 rounds. For the main event, I would normally not pick a fighter who has not fought in close to three years, but Jon Jones is not just any fighter. He is arguably the best mixed martial artist that has ever walked into a UFC ring. During his time off, he has transformed his diet, his training, and his focus on becoming a UFC champion. Jones sees this as his legacy fight and he wants to leave no question that he is the greatest of all UFC champions. This is why, despite Gane’s talent, his wrestling and grappling will be no match for Jones, and because of that, I expect a five-round classic with Jon Jones becoming the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.
