In the ranks of the UFC, only seven fighters have ever won championship belts in two weight divisions.
But in some ways, if Jon Jones can join that exclusive club by defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on Saturday, his elevation would be the most impressive of all.
Bones has been out of the Octagon for more than three years, with his last outing coming way back in February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes in controversial circumstances.
Since then, the 35-year-old has been inactive – in the UFC, at least, but not in the gym, where his 60lb weight gain has been manifested following sessions with champion bodybuilder Stan Efferding.
Did you say Jon Jones? 😳@JonnyBones officially returns SATURDAY at #UFC285!! pic.twitter.com/EzA5OztNv4
— UFC (@ufc) February 27, 2023
Whether that impacts upon the incredible speed and agility that saw Jones dominate the light-heavyweight division remains to be seen, although the bookmakers have made the former pound-for-pound champion their favorite in the Jones vs Gane odds at -175. Presumably, they have liked what they have seen from Bones in his training camp despite tipping the scales at around 260lb.
Facing the Fear
Daniel Cormier, who Jones twice defeated (although the second win was overturned), took the step up from light-heavyweight to heavyweight successfully. He bested Stipe Miocic to win the strap and defended it against Derrick Lewis, before a revenge loss to Miocic effectively ended his MMA career.
The advantage Jones has is that he is already a big unit – Cormier stands at only 5ft 11in, with just a 72in reach, so his transition to heavyweight should come somewhat more naturally.
But even so, a complete absence of competitive action has to be considered a major concern, as does the fact that, in Gane, he will face a heavyweight in the prime of his career who can arguably match Jones on the mat.
Bones has admitted that he walked away from the light-heavyweight scene because he didn’t ‘fear’ any of his opponents at that grade, and that fighting at the top weight is ‘scarier’.
Will his return be a nightmare or a dream come true? If he can prevail, Jones’ rise to two-weight champion status will be truly astonishing.
Doubling Up
The legendary Randy Couture was the UFC’s first-ever two-weight champion.
He took the unusual journey of winning first at heavyweight, then stepping down to 205lb to twice take the gold at light-heavyweight level. Couture would later return to heavyweight and win the strap in his first fight back against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68.
UFC champ champs pic.twitter.com/1S6fRTkh5L
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) February 10, 2023
Conor McGregor, BJ Penn and Henry Cejudo are also members of the club, as is Amanda Nunes, who is the current featherweight title holder and also has her two reigns in the bantamweight division. Nunes is, at the time of writing, the only two-weight champion to defend both belts simultaneously.
Georges St-Pierre is another extraordinary two-weight champion. He dominated the welterweight scene, before returning from a four-year hiatus to win the middleweight championship on his debut at the level.
Perhaps Jones will be using that incredible achievement for inspiration…