Jon Jones has finally let fans see his new heavyweight frame.
The former two-time UFC light-heavyweight champion hasn’t fought since picking up a controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.
After that, Jones relinquished his 205lb strap and announced that he plans to compete in the heavyweight division moving forward but he’s been out of action ever since.
This is partly due to the fact he wanted to seriously bulk up so he can physically compete with the biggest and best fighters on the planet.
However, his long layoff was also caused by a financial dispute with the UFC and a distinct lack of viable opponents.
Now, he’s set to face Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight championship when they square off at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Ahead of his debut in a new division, it’s been rumoured that Jones will weigh in at close to the 265lb heavyweight limit and fans have been keen to see how the greatest of all time looks after seriously bulking up during his three-year hiatus from MMA.
On Wednesday, Jones was at the UFC 285 media day fielding questions from reporters and shooting promotional content ahead of the biggest fight of 2023.
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Several photos of the 35-year-old with his top off gave fans a glimpse of Jones’ heavyweight frame and it’s safe to say not everyone was impressed by his body transformation.
One fan joked: “Finally a before/after I can relate to.”
Another added: “Before & After Thanksgiving.”
A third Twitter user said: “Jon "cholesterol" Jones.”
Yet Jones hit back on Instagram, captioning a photo of himself showing off his new physique: "Good thing it's not a bodybuilding competition.
"I have the strength and explosiveness of a lion right now. I can focus on leaning out better for next fight. Most importantly I'm 250 lbs still moving like a light heavyweight."
Jones certainly doesn’t look muscle-bound like the outgoing UFC champion Francis Ngannou but that’s not a bad thing when it comes to fighting at heavyweight.
The current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has better cardio than his rivals despite carrying a bit of extra weight into his fights.
Cain Velasquez is regarded by many as the best heavyweight in UFC history but he never had abs and neither did Fedor Emelianenko during his Hall of Fame fight career that recently came to an end.
Jones will weigh in for his fight with Gane on Friday afternoon and fans will finally have a number to link to the three-year body transformation that has gripped MMA.
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