UFC 285 wrap: Jon Jones cements GOAT status with flawless victory
Jon Jones made his long-awaited return to the octagon at UFC 285, and he did not disappoint, putting away Cyril Gane with ease.
In the popular video game Mortal Combat, when a player defeats another without taking a hit, the phrase 'flawless victory' flashes across the screen as the defeated lies dismembered. Fans half expected this to appear on the big screen at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas following the main event, where the mercurial Jones beat Gane for the vacant heavyweight title.
Much had been made about his physique and whether he could shake the ring rust, but Jones' slick performance silenced any critics.
Apart from a kick to the cup, Jones took zero damage. After getting his hands on Gane, he showed superb chain wrestling to get him up against the cage before sliding in a guillotine choke just two minutes into the fight, stunning the sellout sin city crowd.
Former division champion Stipe Miocic is up next for Jones, but one can't help but feel the air of invincibility around the new-look Jones.
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In other notable performances, middleweight banger Dricus du Plessis of South Africa continued his meteoric rise up the rankings with a TKO stoppage win over UFC veteran Derek Brunson.
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt looked exceptionally fast, albeit very safe, against an underperforming Trevin Jones. Garbrandt - who had been knocked out in four of his last six fights before Saturday - evaded well and executed lightning-fast takedowns on his way to a unanimous decision win.