Jon Jones Returns to Challenge for Vacant Heavyweight Crown at UFC 285

• Jon Bones Jones will fight in the UFC for the first time in three years since he defeated Dominik Reyes
• Jones and France's Ciryl Gane will compete for the vacant UFC Heavyweight title at UFC 285 in March
• Former Heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, was stripped of the title and released from the UFC

Jon Bones Jones will make his long-awaited return to the UFC in March.

The 35-year-old former light heavyweight champion has not fought in the organisation since December 2020, when he defended his belt against Dominik Reyes.

Now as noted by MMA Fighting, Bones will compete at UFC 285, where he will fight for the vacant heavyweight title.

The title became vacant after the UFC officially released Francis Ngannou and stripped him of the belt.

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Jones will now fight France's Ciryl Gane for the strap in March. Gane has fought for the belt once before, losing to Ngannou last year.

Many we're gearing up for a Ngannou and Jones showdown for the belt, but with Ngannou no longer competing for the UFC, a new matchup had to be found.

Jones is considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time and will be looking to cement his place in the history books, by capturing the heavyweight belt. He's only suffered one loss in his whole career, won 26 fights and had 11 title defences between 2011 and 2022.

Franci Ngannou stripped of title

Francis 'The Predator' Ngannou is no longer the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

The Cameroon national has not fought in the Octagon since he defended the title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, Sports Brief reported.

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Ngannou underwent surgery to treat a knee injury he sustained during the fight, and was negotiating with the UFC during that time over a new contract.

Jon Jones bulks up

Jon 'Bones' Jones is looking to dominate the UFC's heavyweight division in 2023.

The former light-heavyweight champion has not fought in the last three years but is aiming to make his comeback this year in a big way.

Sports Brief earlier reported that the 35-year-old has been hard at work training ahead of his return to the octagon, surprising many with his physique.