Jon Jones’ major body transformation for Ciryl Gane heavyweight fight
The UFC world has been stunned by Jon Jones’ body transformation as he makes his long awaited return to the octagon.
Fans fear Jon Jones will “gas out” against Ciryl Gane after the UFC star showed off his new heavyweight frame.
The Sun reports Jones, 35, makes his MMA return at UFC 285 this weekend after making the step up from light-heavyweight.
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The former champ’s last fight saw him defend his belt against Dominick Reyes over three years ago.
And he now has the chance to become heavyweight king as he and Gane compete for the title in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT).
Jones, who stands 6ft 4in and has shot up from 205 pounds (93kg) to nearer 250 pounds (113kg), has gained size by lifting weights while eating a daily 4500 calorie diet.
But some supporters fear he may have lost his speed and stamina after unveiling his new physique in official UFC photos.
man added 30lbs to his belly and 1lb
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) March 2, 2023
to his lower body 😂 pic.twitter.com/z9MbzQ6spi
One said: “Jon Jones did ZERO legs moving up to heavyweight.”
Another declared: “Heavyweight Jon Jones looks like regular Jon Jones but in a relationship.”
One noted: “Just looks like an out-of-shape heavyweight Jon Jones.”
Another added: “It’s going to be interesting to see how his frame handles all of that extra weight. Fighters change when they start gassing out.”
In an explosive Facebook post, UFC legend Mark Hunt accused Jones of using steroids to bulk up.
But Jones himself is looking forward to putting his new body to work.
He told The Sun: “I ended up off training camp bench pressing 315 pounds (143kg) for five (reps).
“Deadlifts was about 640lbs (290 kg) and my squat was about 500lbs (226kg) , maybe 520lbs (235 kg), somewhere around there.
“Towards the end, I wasn’t going for big numbers. I was just going for explosiveness and muscular endurance.
“But I’ve got pretty strong over the last three years. A few months ago, I got up to 267lbs (121kg).
“But I felt a little more bloated and I didn’t like my endurance at that weight. I plan on competing right around, anywhere between, 245 (111kg) and 113lbs.”
Gane could care little about how much Jones is going to weigh this weekend.
The Frenchman came up short in his first crack at undisputed heavyweight gold against the recently-departed Francis Ngannou last January.
But he believes the defeat was a blessing in disguise as his second bid at UFC glory will provide him with the opportunity to beat the consensus greatest of all time.
“That’s a really big deal and I prefer this situation.
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“We would like to have revenge with Francis Ngannou,” Jones said.
“But to have Jon Jones and the belt at the same time, this is really crazy.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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