04 March 2023 , 11:30
1049
0
UFC legend Jon Jones admitted his transformation from a "skinny" light-heavyweight to a heavyweight was more difficult than he thought.
Jones, 35, makes his heavyweight debut tonight as he faces Ciryl Gane for the division's undisputed title at UFC 285 in Las Vegas. 'Bones' first hinted at a move up to heavyweight over a decade ago but has spent the last three years bulking up in size as the UFC legend has been backed to weigh heavier than Gane for their title fight.
Despite standing at 6'4" and weighing 205lb for most of his fighting career, Jones has insisted that he's always been the smallest amongst his family of athletes. "Man I’m telling you, I’ve always been the skinny one in my family. Becoming a proper heavyweight is a lot more difficult than I had ever anticipated. I want to do it right the first time," he tweeted.
Jon Jones weighs in for his UFC heavyweight title fight (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Jones' older brother Arthur is a former American football defensive end who weighed around 337lb during his playing career. His younger brother Chandler weighs 265lb and is a top player for the Las Vegas Raiders, with Jones admitting that both of his brothers used to manhandle him in their childhood days.
The strength of Jones has skyrocketed whilst preparing for his heavyweight debut as the UFC legend has increased his bench press to 520lb and deadlift to a whopping 600lb whilst eating 4500 calories a day. Jones has been mocked for having small calves during his UFC career, with commentator Joe Rogan even describing them as "non-existent", but his huge weight gain will likely show in the size of his legs on fight night.
Logan Paul and KSI announce new partnership with UFC president Dana White
Who wins at UFC 285 - Jon Jones or Ciryl Gane? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
Jones thought that his move up to heavyweight would only take a few months, but was in for a rude awakening when he realised it would take a lot longer than that. The 35-year-old wanted to make no mistakes for his debut in the new division which is why he's committed his "whole life" to the weight change.
"I set up a gym at my house about two months before Covid hit and I've been training non-stop. It was great to have a place to go and blow off steam. I made the plan to get to heavyweight and at first I thought it would be really easy, I thought I could do it in a few months. As I got more into it, I realised if I wanted to do it right it was something I had to commit my whole life to and that's what I did. It kept me happy and gave me a new goal to become the heavyweight champion of the world."