UFC is back with another exciting pay-per-view of the year and this time around it will be Jon Jones, arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, who will make his return to fighting. The American’s very own will take on the Frenchman Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 285. ‘Bones’ will be making his heavyweight debut. He returns after a three-year layoff. Initially, it was said that Jones would fight ex-heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, the latter exited the company after a contract dispute. Thus, the promotion has set a title fight at UFC 285.
Apart from the main event, the co-main event is also a banger. Female flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will defend her title against Alexa Grasso for the eighth time in her career. The much-anticipated pay-per-view will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend. Ahead of the event, let’s speculate how much the main eventers could earn from the fight.
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane- Payouts, Purses, and Salary
Although the salaries and purses of the UFC fighters are never truly revealed, we can make an estimate using their previously received payouts. Jon Jones, since moving to the heavyweight division, has signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC.
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According to some reports, after his new deal with the promotion, ‘Bones’ will become the second highest-paid UFC fighter next to Conor McGregor. ‘The Notorious’ earns an estimate of over $20 million for his fights.
Thus, there are rumors that the American UFC star can possibly make around $10 million, including bonuses and PPV cuts. But the exact figures are not out yet. However, Jones will make around $3.5 to $4 million, given his previous fight purse.
On the other hand, the former interim heavyweight champion Gane can make an estimate of $600k given his previous fight salaries. However, over time, he has become a marketable UFC prospect. Thus, for UFC 285, Gane would make somewhere around $1 to $2.5 million, including bonuses, sponsorship, and PPV cuts.
Gane vs Jones – The war of the giants
‘Bones’ is considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, given his unmatched professional fighting record of 26-1 including title defenses. After dominating the light heavyweight division, Jones has returned to challenge the UFC heavyweights.
His first challenge is Gane, a highly skilled striker with a background in Muay Thai. Despite being a heavyweight fighter, ‘Bon Gamin’ moves like a lightweight. Thus, it won’t be a walk in the park for Jones.
However, Jones is an experienced fighter with a wrestling background. He has defeated the likes of Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen, and more. Thus, it would be valid to say that ‘Bones’ is an all-around fighter. The only thing that would be new for him is the weight class.
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Jones could have an edge on the mat, as we have seen Gane struggle in wrestling against Ngannou. However, ‘Bon Gamin is a ferocious striker with great power and he can have his moment early. All in all, this is a highly unpredictable bout. But one thing is sure, we are in for a treat on 4th March.
What are your predictions for this heavyweight bout? What do you guys think about the estimated salaries of the fighter?
