Dana White confirms mystery heavyweight fighter set to serve as backup at UFC 285: ‘I’m not gonna say it’
UFC president, Dana White has confirmed that a heavyweight fighter is in place to serve as a backup for next weekend’s vacant title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, however, elected against revealing the name of the short notice replacement.
Slated to return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada next weekend for their UFC 285 pay-per-view card, the flagship event is slated to feature a vacant heavyweight title fight between former two-time light heavyweight titleholder, Jones, and former interim heavyweight champion, Gane, atop the card.
In the night’s co-headliner, undisputed flyweight best, Valentina Shevchenko attempts to rack up another successful title defense as she welcomes Mexican contender, Alexa Grasso to the Octagon.
Dana White fails to reveal the identity of the UFC 285 headliner backup fighter
Revealing the organization will field a backup fighter at UFC 285, Dana White elected against, however, revealing just who that fighter will be.
“Is there a backup for the [UFC 285] main event? Yes,” Dana White told assembled media following UFC Vegas 70. “We always have backups for those kind of fights. I’m not gonna say it [who the backup fighter is]. But, yeah, we got a backup.”
Set to make his first Octagon walk in over three years, Rochester native, Jones has been sidelined since February 2020, where he headlined in Houston, Texas against then-challenger, Dominick Reyes, securing a close, debated decision win to defend his title. Jones would then officially relinquish the light heavyweight throne in August of that year.
As for Gane, the MMA Factory Paris stalwart headlined UFC Fight NIght Paris back in July of last year against heavyweight knockout artist, Tai Tuivasa, rebounding from his first professional loss with a third round TKO win over the Australian.
The most recent UFC heavyweight champion was Cameroon knockout puncher, Francis Ngannou, who was stripped of the undisputed crown in January after his contractual obligations with the promotion concluded back in December of last year.
