Ahead of UFC 285, we take a look at the odds, and predictions for the main card
UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 4. This event is widely anticipated since it will feature the return of Jon Jones, who will compete against Ciryl Gane in an effort to win the heavyweight championship.
Additionally, the reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko faces Alexa Grasso in what she hopes will be the eighth successful defense of her championship. The remainder of the card includes various up-and-coming stars as well as seven competitors who are currently ranked in the top 10 in their respective categories.
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane
The last time that fans saw Jon Jones compete in the cage was in February of 2020, when he won his 11th successful title defence as UFC light heavyweight champion against Dominick Reyes. Jones began preparing for a new challenge immediately after relinquishing his title six months later.
Jones had his sights set on moving up to the heavyweight division over the course of the past couple of years, but he required some time to readjust himself to competing in a new weight class that was significantly heavier. On March 4, Jones will make his return to the Octagon as the main event of UFC 285, where he will compete against Ciryl Gane, a former interim titleholder and the current No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division.
Jones has shown very few, if any, weaknesses in his game over the course of the past decade, as evidenced by the fact that he has been able to defeat one MMA superstar after another, including the likes of Daniel Cormier, Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, and Lyoto Machida. The fact that Jones will be facing a bigger opponent in Gane, who has revolutionized the heavyweight division with an agility that is not typically associated with enormous men in sports. This serves as the source of the fascination surrounding this battle.
Odds: The current UFC odds have Jones as the favorite at -166, while Gane is the underdog at +130.
Our Prediction: It goes without saying that Jones is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. His ability to break down opponents and study them is second to none. He has also left no stones unturned in preparation although Gane has all the tools to defeat ‘Bones’. However, we think that Jones will be able to etch out a decision victory or perhaps submit Gane in the later rounds.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso
Valentina Shevchenko is only the second woman to have won the women’s flyweight title in the UFC since the division was introduced in 2017. She defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the title in 2018 at UFC 231 and hasn’t looked back since then.
Shevchenko is by far and away the most decorated 125-pound athlete in the history of the UFC. She holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the division (9), the most flyweight title wins (8), and the most knockout wins in the history of the division (4), just to name a few of her accomplishments. Shevchenko has successfully defended her title seven times in the process.
Shevchenko came through with a victory in her most recent bout, which was against Taila Santos, who was her toughest challenger at 125 pounds to date. Once the bout proceeded to the canvas, Santos was able to find success time and time again by gaining control of Shevchenko’s back and threatening submissions. Shevchenko fought back in the later rounds like the champion that she is, and she earned a victory by split decision, which was her first victory of this kind since becoming champion.
Her subsequent defense will take place in the co-main event of UFC 285 against Alexa Grasso. Since making her MMA debut in 2020 at the flyweight division, Grasso has gone undefeated, most recently earning a victory over Viviane Araujo in the main event of her maiden UFC Fight Night card. Both competitors have a wide array of skills, from knockout power to submission threats, which will make this an exciting and unpredictable co-headliner that will not fail to satiate audience expectations.
Odds: Shevchenko is a heavy favorite at -625, while Grasso is the underdog at +414.
Our prediction: Shevchenko will not repeat the mistakes she made against Taila Santos and will look to close the fight with a killer instinct. We predict a quick first or second-round victory for ‘Bullet’.
Main Card Odds
- Geoff Neal (+356) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (-526)
- Mateusz Gamrot (-175) vs. Jalin Turner (+137)
- Bo Nickal (-1666) vs. Jamie Pickett (+750)
Preliminary Card Odds
- Cody Garbrandt (-175) vs. Trevin Jones (+136)
- Derek Brunson (+183) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (-238)
- Viviane Araujo (+104) vs. Amanda Ribas (-131)
- Julian Marquez (+102) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (-129)
- Ian Machado Garry (-588) vs. Song Kenan (+384)
- Mana Martinez (+201) vs. Cameron Saaiman (-270)
- Jessica Penne (+184) vs. Tabatha Ricci (-243)
- Da’Mon Blackshear (+333) vs. Farid Basharat (-476)
- Kamuela Kirk (+157) vs. Esteban Ribovics (-204)
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