Former UFC lightweight champion Jon Jones is days away from making his heavyweight debut at UFC 285, but you won’t have to wait until Saturday to see what he’ll be like inside the cage .
Competing against the big boys at heavyweight meant Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) had to pack on pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame, and he has for the past three years who spent his past contributing greatly while maintaining his athleticism. At Wednesday’s UFC 285 media day, Jones addressed the changes in his body, and how he plans to perform inside the cage against Cyril Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC ) for the vacant title in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“Honestly I feel like a stronger version of me,” Jones told reporters. “I’m not overweight. I don’t have a medium six pack like I used to. That took me a while to get used to, you know what I mean? Like, back in the day I would judge my fitness level by the way I looked in the mirror.
“I’m under a lot of weight now. It’s not about what you look like. It’s about how you perform. I feel that I am performing well. … I feel really good. I like it. I eat what I want, feel good. Life is good.”
Photos from the UFC 285 pre-fight photo shoot are available now, and you get the first look at Jones’ heavyweight frame in Venum UFC fight gear. Check out Jones’ new physique below (via Getty Images):
Included from Getty Images
For a comparison to Jones’ lightweight frame, check out these images from before his last outing at UFC 247 in February 2020:
Included from Getty Images
At UFC 247, Jones weighed in just below the light heavyweight championship mark for his title defense against Dominick Reyes, stepping on the scale at 204 pounds.
It remains to be seen what he will do on Friday morning at the official weigh-ins, but it is clear from the pictures that he is nowhere near the light-heavyweight limit these days.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
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