UFC 285
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which took place on March 4, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The headline event featured a contest for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship between former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Championship titleholder Jon Jones and ex-interim champion Ciryl Gane. The heavyweight belt became available after the previous champion Francis Ngannou was stripped of the title and released following contractual disagreements. Sergei Pavlovich was designated as the official backup fighter for this main event.
The co-main event showcased a championship fight in the women's flyweight division, with reigning titleholder Valentina Shevchenko defending against challenger Alexa Grasso.
Other significant matchups included a women's strawweight bout featuring former title contender and Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Jessica Penne against Tabatha Ricci, which had been rescheduled due to Penne’s prior illness-related cancellation.
A welterweight clash between Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov was also highlighted; Neal failed to make weight by four pounds at the official weigh-ins, converting their fight into a catchweight bout and incurring a 30% purse penalty awarded to Rakhmonov.
Promotional newcomer Bo Nickal made his UFC debut facing off with Jamie Pickett, after having withdrawn from an earlier scheduled appearance because of injury.
An originally planned bantamweight matchup between former champion Cody Garbrandt and Julio Arce was altered when Arce withdrew due to a knee injury; he was replaced by Trevin Jones.
A lightweight fight initially set between Jalin Turner and Dan Hooker saw Hooker pull out because of a hand injury. His spot was taken by former KSW Featherweight and Lightweight Champion Mateusz Gamrot.
Esteban Ribovics competed against Loik Radzhabov after the initial opponent, Kamuela Kirk, withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
At the weigh-ins, Leomana Martinez came in one pound over the bantamweight limit; his bout proceeded at catchweight with a 30% fine of his purse going to opponent Cameron Saaiman.
During fight week, filming for the Road House remake occurred at the arena, featuring actor Jake Gyllenhaal alongside UFC veteran Jay Hieron. The production included scenes of weigh-ins and fights involving UFC announcer Bruce Buffer and referee Chris Tognoni.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Catchweight (137 lb) |Cameron Saaiman |def. |Leomana Martinez |Decision (majority) (29–26, 28–27, 28–28) |} Saaiman was penalized one point in round one for repeated groin strikes.
Bonus awards
The following competitors earned $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal (Neal received his bonus despite missing weight)
- Performance of the Night: Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso, and Bo Nickal
Aftermath
This event was honored with the Fans Choice UFC Honors 2023 Event of the Year award.