''UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane'' was a
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
event produced by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
that took place on March 4, 2023, at
T-Mobile Arena
T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International ...
in
Paradise, Nevada
Paradise is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the ...
, part of the
Las Vegas metropolitan area
Clark County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Nevada with 2,265,461 residents as of the 2020 census. The county is the location of the state's three largest cities, Las Vegas (the county seat), Henderson, and North Las Vegas ...
, United States.
Background
A
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
bout for the vacant title between former two-time
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
Jon Jones
Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
and former interim champion
Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interi ...
headlined the event. Former champion
Francis Ngannou
Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the in ...
was stripped of the title on January 14 and released from the promotion due to a contract dispute.
Sergei Pavlovich
Sergei Vladimirovich Pavlovich (; born 13 May 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. Pavlovich currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A one-time champion of Russia in Combat Ku ...
served as backup and potential replacement for this fight.
A
UFC Women's Flyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
bout between current champion
Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Anatolyevna Shevchenko
(born March 7, 1988) is a Kyrgyz professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, former Muay Thai fighter and Kickboxing, kickboxer. She currently competes in the women's Flyweight (MMA), Flyweight divisi ...
and
Alexa Grasso
Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist who competes in the women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is a former UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. Gr ...
served as the event's co-main event.
A women's strawweight bout between former
UFC Women's Strawweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
challenger and inaugural
Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Jessica Penne
Jessica Penne (born January 30, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Penne competed in the Women's Strawweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She was the first Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. She also c ...
and
Tabatha Ricci
Tabatha Ricci Fabri Salto (born February 21, 1995) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, currently competing in the women's Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of October 8, 2024, she is #10 in the UFC women's strawwei ...
took place at the event.
They were previously scheduled to meet at
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan but the bout was scrapped as Penne withdrew due to illness.
A welterweight bout between
Geoff Neal and
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Shavkat Bakhtibaevich Rakhmonov (, ; born October 23, 1994) is a Kazakh professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014,
Rakhmonov is al ...
took place at this event.
They were previously expected to meet at
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov but Neal withdrew due to injury. At the weigh-ins, Neal weighed in at 175 pounds, four pounds over the welterweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Neal was fined 30% of his purse, which went to Rakhmonov.
A middleweight bout between promotional newcomer
Bo Nickal
Bo Dean Nickal (born January 14, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). ...
and
Jamie Pickett took place at this event.
They were previously expected to meet at
UFC 282
''UFC 282: Błachowicz vs. Ankalaev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place on December 10, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United S ...
but Nickal withdrew due to injury.
A bantamweight bout between former
UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt
Cody Ray Allen Garbrandt (born July 7, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Backg ...
and
Julio Arce
Julio Arce (born October 27, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist. He was the former Ring of Combat bantamweight and featherweight champion. He also won the Golden Gloves 2011 Championship. Arce competed in the Bantamweight division in the ...
was expected to take place at the event. However, Arce withdrew in late January due to a knee injury and was replaced by
Trevin Jones
Trevin Jones (born August 4, 1990) is a Guamanian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.(UFC)
Background
Jones started his MMA career when he first enrolled in an amateur fi ...
.
A lightweight bout between
Jalin Turner
Jalin Turner ( ; born May 18, 1995) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional from 2016 to 2025, he also competed for Bellator MMA, ...
and
Dan Hooker
Daniel Preston Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring ...
was scheduled for the event. However, Hooker was forced to withdraw from the event citing a hand injury.
He was replaced by former
KSW Featherweight and
Lightweight Champion Mateusz Gamrot
Mateusz Gamrot (born December 11, 1990) is a Polish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gamrot is a former Konfr ...
.
A lightweight bout between Kamuela Kirk and Esteban Ribovics was scheduled for the event. However, Kirk withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Loik Radzhabov.
Also at the weigh-ins, Leomana Martinez weighed in at 137 pounds, one pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight with Martinez being fined 30% of his purse, which went to his opponent
Cameron Saaiman
Cameron Alexander Saaiman (born 20 December 2000) is a South African mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Saaiman was born on 20 December 2000 in Pretoria, South Africa ...
.
''
Road House'', a remake of the 1989
film of the same name, had some of its scenes filmed during fight week, featuring actor
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...
and UFC veteran
Jay Hieron
Jay Hieron (born July 29, 1976) is an American actor, stuntman and former mixed martial artist. Hieron was the final IFL Welterweight Champion, competing for the Los Angeles Anacondas, and has also competed in the UFC, WEC, Affliction, ...
. It included a weigh-in scene and an actual fight sequence that was shot after the last bout of the early preliminary card, including UFC cage announcer
Bruce Buffer
Bruce Anthony Buffer (born May 21, 1957) is an American professional mixed martial arts ring announcer and the official octagon announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, introduced on broadcasts as the "Veteran Voice of the O ...
and MMA referee Chris Tognoni.
Results
Bonus awards
The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.
*Fight of the Night: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal
*Performance of the Night: Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso, and Bo Nickal
Aftermath
This event won the Fans Choice ''UFC Honors 2023 Event of the Year''.
Notes
See also
*
List of UFC events
List of UFC events is a list of events held and scheduled by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. UFC's first event, UFC 1, took place on November 12, 1993. Each UFC event contains ...
*
List of current UFC fighters
This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster c ...
*
2023 in UFC
The year 2023 was the 31st year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
UFC in 2023
UFC merged with WWE to form TKO Group
In April 2023, Endeavor Group Holdings ...
References
{{2023 in mixed martial arts
Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events
2023 in UFC
2023 in sports in Nevada
March 2023 sports events in the United States
Ultimate Fighting Championship events at T-Mobile Arena