It looks like 2023 will potentially be a record-breaking year for the UFC, with killer fight cards coming one after the other. The next pay-per-view event will not only have one of UFC’s biggest stars returning, but there will also be some rising contenders. The fighters faced off against each other after the UFC 285 press conference.
Which fighters were present at the UFC 285 press conference?
We have to start off by talking about the main card. Jon Jones has been teasing a move to heavyweight for a good while now. Fans wanted to see him take on Francis Ngannou, but ‘The Predator’ left owing to contract negotiation failures. But Ciryl Gane is a formidable fighter who rocks the proper MMA fighting style.
Jones has had his fair share of criticism for Gane, but the French seem to remain unfazed. During the Face-off, there was no brawl like the Daniel Cormier fight though Jon did push the belt away and approached his opponent.
Jones vs. Gane pic.twitter.com/NVk0GE095f
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) March 3, 2023
Rising Welterweight contender Shavkat ‘Nomad’ Rakhmonov will fight in the rebooked match against Geoff ‘Hands of Steel’ Neal. The Kazakh has been struggling to find opponents, and his fight against Brian Barberena was not allowed to materialize. If he manages to pick up a win here, he should be looking at the top-ranked fighters next.
Expect a finish here!! đ@HandzOfSteelMMA meets @Rakhmonov1994 on our #UFC285 main card!
[ Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/twBcYMJ3ve ] pic.twitter.com/jPjlAd2vbO
— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2023
Another killer fight to watch out for is the Mateusz Gamrot vs Jalin Turner fight. Many touted Gamrot as one of the next top Lightweight contenders. The Polish did manage to stop Arman Tsarukyan but got bested by Beneil Dariush. Now he has another chance to make a statement against a very tall and intimidating Jalin.
Top 10 lightweights turn up the heat đ„@Gamer_MMA and @JalinTurner ready to clash Saturday night!
[ #UFC285 | March 4th | Live on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/twBcYMJ3ve ] pic.twitter.com/qbo8x1ac2Y
— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2023
And let’s not forget the Debut of Bo Nickal. This fighter is receiving hype to the level of Khamzat Chimaev, and fans are expecting a show. The American was already calling his shots and managed to land a bout in the main card on his very first outing. His opponent Jamie Pickett is on a two-fight losing streak, but a win here could get him back on track.
The long-awaited debut is here!@NoBickal gets his first officially UFC action this Saturday against @JamiePickettMMA!
[ #UFC285 | March 4th | Live on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/twBcYMJ3ve ] pic.twitter.com/THEp8d8QEb
— UFC (@ufc) March 3, 2023
What fight are you most looking forward to? You Can share your thoughts in the comments.
