Ciryl Gane on Fight vs. 'The GOAT' Jon Jones at UFC 285: 'This Is a Pleasure for Me'

Ciryl Gane is excited about his upcoming bout with Jon Jones this weekend at UFC 285, which will mark Jones' first foray into the heavyweight division.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Gane noted that he is excited about the challenge that comes along with facing one of the greatest fighters in UFC history in Jones:

"I love this sport. Yes, it's my job, but first I'm a competitor, When I lost my fight against Francis [Ngannou], I was really not happy. So yes, I'm gonna test myself with the GOAT, and this is a pleasure for me.

"When you have a fight and you don't have any challenge, that's not exciting. Today I have a big challenge so I'm really excited about that."

Gane and Jones will meet Saturday in Las Vegas with the vacant UFC heavyweight title hanging in the balance. The title became available when UFC and Ngannou were unable to come to terms on a new contract.

At UFC 270 last year, Gane suffered the first loss of his career when he fell to Ngannou by unanimous decision, but he bounced back with a knockout win over Tai Tuivasa in September, bringing his record to 11-1.

Jones is a far more experienced fighter with 28 bouts to his credit, but the majority of them were fought at light heavyweight.

The 35-year-old veteran also hasn't fought since UFC 247 in February 2020, raising the question of whether he will be rusty when he steps inside the Octagon on Saturday.

Jones is 26-1 with one no-contest in his career, and his only loss came as a result of a disqualification for illegal elbows back in 2009. Since then, Jones is undefeated in 18 consecutive fights.

Gane expressed his belief that Jones will be slower at heavyweight than he was at light heavyweight, but he noted that he will likely still be faster than most heavyweights.

Jones' lack of experience at heavyweight and the changes that could occur with his body and fighting ability from adding weight make Saturday's fight a true unknown.

Regardless, it will be a massive test for Gane, who remains on the hunt for a signature win following last year's loss to Ngannou.