Ultimate Fighting Championship returns Saturday night with a PPV event that could potentially end up being the biggest in 2023. Jon Jones is making his long-anticipated return to MMA and he will clash for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event vs Ciryl Gane. But the card also includes a second championship fight – Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso. Overall, the UFC 285: Jones vs Gane fight card is stacked with incredible bouts.
Here are the NYFIGHTS predictions:
UFC 285: Gane vs Gane Full Card Predictions, Odds, Analysis
Cody Garbrandt vs Trevin Jones
Cody Garbrandt Preview
Garbrandt has been on a slide and yes, this is a must win for him, same goes for Jones
Cody had 17 fights in his career and celebrated success 12 times. The fighter had a great streak of 11 victories and it seemed that he could qualify for a title fight, but now, he has a series of five failures in his last six fights. Also, Cody has not fought in over a year. He had two cancelled fights since December 2021.
Due to his physical strength, Garbrandt has a powerful blow and is able to knock down any opponent. However, his defense; he lost by knockout in four of his five defeats, which indicates his unreliable defense.
Trevin Jones Preview
Trevin Jones has been a professional since 2011 and is distinguished by powerful striking technique and bright transfers to the canvas. The 32-year-old American has a track record of 13 wins and 9 losses, and in the UFC, his record is 2-3. The American athlete lost his three most recent fights and is determined to restore his reputation in the octagon.
Garbrandt vs Jones PredictionÂ
We think that Cody will win this fight even with the long downtime he had to go through. We believe that he is better technically both on his feet and on the ground. If Garbrandt sticks to his game plan and doesn’t enter useless exchanges, and doesn’t allow takedowns, he will win this fight.
Bo Nickal vs Jamie Pickett
Bo Nickal Preview
This Christian from Colorado came out of the Dana White Contender Series
Bo Nickal is the gold medalist of the 2019 U23 World Championship and the 2020 US Open National Championship in freestyle wrestling (NCAA). The 27-year-old American fighter made his MMA debut in September 2021 at Square Ring Promotions. A year later, he took part in Dana White’s Contender Series 2022, defeating his compatriots Zachary Borrego and Donovan Byrd. Nikal has five victories (two by knockout) in mixed martial arts and not a single defeat.
Jamie Pickett Preview
Jamie Pickett got into the UFC through the Dana White show on only his third try in 2020. He has ten wins (six by knockout) and seven losses in his statistics. In the last two fights, the 34-year-old American was defeated, losing to Russian Denis Tyulyulin (technical knockout) and his compatriot Kyle Dakas (submission). And in January 2022, he defeated another American, Joseph Holmes, by unanimous decision.
Nickal vs Pickett PredictionÂ
Bookmakers consider Nickal the undisputed favorite of the upcoming fight. He has very significant achievements in freestyle wrestling. This is evidenced by his victories at the amateur level as well. Pickett is well-sized for a middleweight, standing at 188cm with a reach of 203cm. He performs relatively well in the standing position. But Bo has amazing stats. The native of Florida completed all five fights at the professional level ahead of schedule.
Mateusz Gamrot vs Jalin Turner
Mateusz Gamrot Preview
Mateusz Gamrot is ranked seventh in the UFC lightweight rankings. The 32-year-old Polish fighter lost his last fight in Abu Dhabi to Beneil Dariush by unanimous decision. However, before that he won four victories in a row. Including over Arman Tsarukyan in June 2022. Gamrot was engaged in boxing, freestyle wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has 21 wins (seven by knockout) and two losses.
Jalin Turner Preview
Turner competed in Bellator MMA, World Series of Fighting, King of the Cage and Tachi Palace Fights before moving to the Dana White league in 2018. The 27-year-old American has won five of his last fights in a row. In the last fight in June 2022, he defeated the New Zealander Brad Riddell (submission). Turner is ranked tenth in the division.
Gamrot vs Turner PredictionÂ
Gamrot is the favorite of the upcoming meeting. His forte is wrestling. If he can’t use it, he may well give in. Turner, on the other hand, has crazy anthropometry for light weight – 190 centimeters tall and 195 centimeters arm span.
Editor Note: I didn’t know what it meant either
He has a better stance, he’s good at grappling. It makes sense to bet on the victory of the American. Moreover, bookmakers offer some incredible odds for the underdog.
Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov
Geoff Neal Preview
Neal is currently ranked seventh on the official UFC contender rankings for the division. He won their last two bouts, defeating Argentina’s Santiago Ponzinibbio (split decision) and Brazil’s Vicente Luque (knockout). However, before that, he lost to the Americans Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny.
The 32-year-old Dallas native has 15 wins (nine by knockout) and four losses. The American has a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Preview
Shavkat Rakhmonov became the first fighter from Kazakhstan to sign a contract with the UFC. The 28-year-old native of Shurcha (Uzbekistan) made his debut fight in the strongest league in the world in mixed martial arts in October 2020 against the Brazilian Alex Oliveira, in which he won a landslide victory in the first round by submission. Since that moment, the Kazakhstani has defeated three more opponents. In the last fight in June 2022, he got the better of Neil Magny.
Rakhmonov has 16 wins (eight by knockout) and no losses at the professional level. The representative of Kazakhstan is good at jiu-jitsu, combat sambo, boxing, judo. Shavkat ranks ninth in the division rankings.
Neal vs Rakhmonov PredictionÂ
The undefeated Kazakh fighter is the undisputed favorite of the upcoming fight. Rakhmonov is currently showing excellent form. He has practically no weak points. He may not be as good on the stand, but in a duel with an American, he should have enough skills to fight on his feet. It is unlikely that it will be possible to knock out the American, but it is quite possible to complete the fight, for example, with a submission. It is also worth mentioning that the fighter from Kazakhstan has only early victories.
Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso
Valentina Shevchenko Preview
Valentina Shevchenko is the current UFC flyweight champion. The 34-year-old Kyrgyzstani dropped down to the flyweight division after losing a split decision rematch with Amanda Nunes in September 2017. After the transition, she won nine victories in a row. In the last fight in June 2022, she defeated Taila Santos from Brazil.
In total, Shevchenko has 22 wins (8 by knockout) in MMA and three losses. She masters the art of Muay Thai and kickboxing. Valentina is an 11-time world champion in Muay Thai, three-time kickboxing and two-time MMA.
Valentina is happy she made weight
Alexa Grasso Preview
Alexa Grasso previously competed in the women’s fighting promotion Invicta FC. The 29-year-old Mexican is sixth in the division rankings. Her winning streak is already four matches. Grasso defeated Korean Ji Yong Kim, American Maisie Barber, Scottish Joanne Wood and Vivian Araujo from Brazil. Grasso has 15 wins (four by knockout) and three losses at the professional level.
Shevchenko vs Grasso Prediction
According to anthropometric data, Shevchenko is slightly superior to her rival. She is a few pounds heavier and has more arm span. But the height of both athletes is the same. If she does not underestimate Grasso, she is quite capable of winning a confident victory over the less experienced Mexican. We expect a 5-round fight here because Shevchenko usually wins on points when she has serious opponents.
