Jon Jones picks Ciryl Gane to beat Tom Aspinall in heavyweight rematch

Jon Jones believes Ciryl Gane's surging confidence following his interim heavyweight title victory will give the Frenchman the edge in a rematch with Tom Aspinall, though their first encounter ended controversially.

Gane (14-2) and Aspinall (15-3) fought to a no-contest at UFC 321 last October when a double eye poke by Gane in the opening round forced Aspinall to withdraw. Since then, Gane defeated Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the interim heavyweight crown, setting up an expected title unification clash with Aspinall. Jones, who submitted Gane himself in 2023 for the vacant heavyweight title, sees momentum firmly in Gane's favor.

"I believe Gane's going to win," Jones told Ring Magazine. "When you become the champion and you beat a man like Alex Pereira, it has to do something for your confidence. Even in Gane's first fight with Tom Aspinall, Tom was looking pretty invincible until Ciryl Gane. And most people feel like Gane was winning that fight. I feel like Gane's confidence has to be at an all-time high."

Jones noted that before facing Gane, Aspinall appeared dominant across his heavyweight run. Many observers, including UFC CEO Dana White, believed Aspinall was ahead when the first fight was halted. Aspinall subsequently underwent eye surgery to address the injuries sustained. Jones himself has a contentious history with Aspinall, having vacated the title rather than face him directly.