Henry Cejudo thinks Jon Jones likely won’t need championship rounds against Ciryl Gane.
Former 205-pound king Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) will make his heavyweight debut against Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) for the vacant title in the UFC 285 headliner March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Although it will have been more than three years since Jones last competed, Cejudo says he has all the tools to become the first man to stop former interim champion Gane.
“I do believe in my wholehearted heart that Jon Jones is not only going to beat Ciryl Gane, but he’s going to either submit him, or he’s going to stop him,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t think this fight goes past three rounds.”
If Jones does finish Gane, Cejudo thinks there should be no debate that he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter over UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“I believe he beats Ciryl Gane, he’s in the top three, maybe top two,” Cejudo said. “If he stops Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones should and will always remain ranked No. 1. Why do I say that? Because of his resume.
“He’s unblemished. Look what he’s done in combat sports. He’s going to go up to the heaviest division in the UFC, which is the heavyweight division, and now reclaim the biggest and nastiest title of them all.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.