Significant Stats | UFC 285: Jones vs Gane

Key Stats: 57.9% significant strike accuracy (5th all-time among HW), 62.8% significant strike accuracy (tied 3rd all-time among HW), 55% takedown defense

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What It Means: It’s a little freaky how fluidly Gane moves on his feet. Almost always with a bounce in his step, Gane’s lateral movement is similar to that of a fighter from a much lighter weight class, and the quickness with which he throws his strikes often puzzles flatter-footed opponents. Gane is much more of a “death by a thousand cuts” kind of striker, often relying on his speed and movement to touch and move from distance. Occasionally, he’ll sit down on a strike or launch a heavy kick, but he waits to pull opponents in before committing to a knockout strike.

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What to Look For in the Fight: Generally, the thought is that Jones will use his wrestling to wrangle Gane and slow “Bon Gamin” down a bit. One could argue Gane was surprised when Francis Ngannou switched gameplans and took the Frenchman down in their unification bout and focused more on that in preparation for this bout, but track records indicate Jones will have a path to victory on the mat. Gane, however, doesn’t move like a normal heavyweight, so Jones’ presumptive speed advantage he might have over other heavyweights might not be there as prominently. Jones has also shown, recently against Thiago Santos, that he can maneuver in and around a talented striker and have his own success on the feet against a kickboxing-based opponent.

Co-Main Event: Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso

Valentina Shevchenko

Key Stats: 56.4% significant strike accuracy (1st all-time among WFLW), 70.5% takedown accuracy (1st all-time among WFLW), 1.49 strikes absorbed per minute (1st all-time among WFLW)

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What It Means: Shevchenko has absolutely dominated the flyweight division since capturing the crown in December 2018. Along the way, she has shown very few holes in her game. Her striking is crisp, particularly when she chooses to sit and counter. She likes to respond with a quick combination ending with a kick or a spinning back kick when her opponents press the action. She can also take her opponents down with a variety of trips, throws and shots, and she likes to move to a crucifix position.

Alexa Grasso

Key Stats: 5.14 strikes landed per minute, 44% striking accuracy, 64% takedown defense

What It Means: The most eye-popping part of Grasso’s game is her smooth boxing, both moving forward and countering. She does a good job of throwing multiple punches and staying technically sharp. Her jab to lead hook is one of her best weapons, and she has good timing when countering with an overhand right. Often, she’ll end her striking combinations with a kick. On the ground, she has a good submission game and has steadily improved her defensive wrestling.

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What to Look For in the Fight: Often, Shevchenko is able to methodically overwhelm her opponents based on where she identifies her advantage. “Bullet” allows her opponents to take the fight to her at first, counter at will and eventually turn the tide, whether she takes them down or starts to piece them apart on the feet. Against Grasso, Shevchenko might be wise to initiate some grappling exchanges early, but she also likely has a speed advantage on the feet. Grasso, for her part, never wanes on aggression and rarely gets too wild on the feet, so she could go strike-for-strike with Shevchenko if she can find her timing.

Other Fights to Watch (Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov, Mateusz Gamrot vs Jalin Turner)

Geoff Neal

Key Stats: 1.05 knockdowns per 15 minutes (tied 6th all-time among WW), 1.73% bottom position percentage (9th all-time among WW), 88% takedown defense (5th all-time among WW)

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What It Means: Neal is a heavy-handed, educated striker with a wicked left hand and great finishing instincts. He is physically strong, particularly in the clinch and along the fence, with good defensive wrestling technique. “Handz of Steel” likes to shoot a left-hand lead when he can, and he has good timing on it as well. His left body and head kicks land hard, and he is sneaky about the way he follows them with punches. If he does get taken down, he does well to hustle and scramble, and he shows great power in turning clinch situations around on the fence.

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Key Stats: 4.66 takedowns per 15 minutes, 31% takedown accuracy, 3.25 strikes landed per minute

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What It Means: Gamrot is a high-motor, grappling-based fighter who can often wear opponents down with his high-octane wrestling. Often, Gamrot is patient when waiting to shoot for a takedown. He has confidence in his hands, and he likes to rush in with a few punches before grabbing hold of opponents. Even if his initial takedown isn’t successful, he is fantastic about staying connected and shooting multiple times, both in the open and along the fence.

Jalin Turner