UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane – Take a look at the results and also the ones who received the bonus
Saturday night’s UFC 285 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas featured the year’s best fight card, following the promotion’s first two pay-per-views in international locations.
From the start of the sprint, the action at UFC 285 was nonstop plot twists, with 14 exciting bouts, culminating in championship bouts at flyweight and heavyweight. Here’s a look back at how some fresh faces made headlines and others were crowned victorious.
It didn’t take long for Jon Jones to become the new heavyweight champion of the UFC. Over a minute into the fight, “Bones” took Ciryl Gane down, and the French heavyweight never got back up. Jones got in a mount and began fishing for a guillotine choke; “Bon Gamin” defended against the first attempt, but Jones locked in the choke on the second and got a quick tap from Gane.
Consequently, he improves his record to 27-1 with one No Contest and increases his winning streak to five. He is still one of the most incredible talents to ever compete in the Octagon, and at age 35, he showed why he belongs in that company with a completely dominant performance.
Co-main event winner Alexa Grasso finished the fight with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round after Valentina Shevchenko made a strategic error.
From the opening bell to the final bell, this was a fiercely contested bout. Grasso’s surprising switch to a southpaw stance in the first round caught Shevchenko off guard. In the championship rounds, the champion relied on her grappling to build a lead, but Grasso stayed focused and took advantage of every opening she was given. Grasso immediately climbed onto Shevchenko’s back after she missed a spinning back kick and went for the choke, where she was able to get her hooks in, flatten her out, and force a tap.
What a fantastic performance by Grasso, who now joins Brandon Moreno and Yair Rodriguez as Mexican fighters who have won world titles this year. This is a truly remarkable performance from the winner.
Midway through the main card of UFC 285, undefeated rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov won his fifth straight UFC fight and his seventeenth straight overall by defeating tough DWCS graduate Geoff Neal. The 28-year-old faced the biggest challenge of his professional life, but he came through it with flying colours.
The two ranked welterweights exchanged blows on the feet throughout all three rounds, with Rakhmonov providing more variety and volume overall. Early in the third, Neal had him rocked, but he couldn’t land the knockout blow, and Rakhmonov was able to close the distance and make a comeback.
Towards the end of the round, the unbeaten “Nomad” landed a clean right hand on Neal and followed it up with a series of knees to the body, but the Fortis MMA fighter somehow managed to stay on his feet. Rakhmonov finished the fight with less than a minute left by securing a standing rear-naked choke as the two fighters fought along the fence.
This was by far the most exciting fight of the year so far, and it did wonders for the reputations of both fighters. With the win, Rakhmonov improves to 17-0 with 17 straight finishes and will likely face a Top 5 opponent in his next match.
On the main card’s opening bout, Bo Nickal wasted no time in closing the distance and getting a hold of Jamie Pickett, and that was that. Penn State’s rookie standout pinned Pickett to the mat and patiently tightened an arm-triangle choke until Pickett tapped out.
From the opening bell, it was clear that this match would go in the direction of the three-time Division I National Champion wrestler. Nickal may only have a perfect record of 4-0 as a mixed martial artist, but he is already a major obstacle for anyone in the middleweight division who finds themselves on the canvas with him.
UFC 285 results
Main card:
Jon Jones def. Ciryl Gane via submission (guillotine) (2:04 of Round 1)
Alexa Grasso def. V. Shevchenko via submission (RNC) (4:34 of Round 4)
Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Geoff Neal via submission (RNC) (4:17 of Round 3)
Mateusz Gamrot def. Jalin Turner via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
Bo Nickal def. Jamie Pickett via submission (arm triangle) (2:54 of Round 1)
Prelims:
Cody Garbrandt def. Trevin Jones via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Dricus Du Plessis def. Derek Brunson via TKO (4:59 of Round 2)
Amanda Ribas def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Marc-Andre Barriault def. Julian Marquez via TKO (4:12 of Round 2)
Early prelims:
Ian Machado Garry def. Song Kenan via TKO (4:22 of Round 3)
Cameron Saaiman def. Leomana Martinez via majority decision (29-26, 28-27, 28-28)
Tabatha Ricci def. Jessica Penne via submission (armbar) (2:14 of Round 2)
Farid Basharat def. Da’Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Loik Radzhabov def. Esteban Ribovics via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
UFC 285 bonus winners
Fight of the Night: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal
Performance of the Night: Jon Jones
Performance of the Night: Alexa Grasso
Performance of the Night: Bo Nickal
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