Getty UFC star Jon Jones is set to make his return on March 4.
Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane headline a loaded UFC 285 card when they clash on Saturday, March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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In the US, the UFC 285 PPV (10 p.m. ET start time) is available exclusively through ESPN+.
Here’s a full rundown of how to buy and watch Jones vs Gane and the rest of UFC 285:
How to Buy UFC 285 PPV
If You Don’t Have ESPN+
You can buy a special bundle that includes a one-year subscription to ESPN+ ($99.99 value) and the UFC 285 PPV ($74.99 value) for $124.98. That’s work out to savings of $50 or about 29 percent:
Or, if you want to purchase them separately, you can first subscribe to a month of ESPN+ right here ($9.99 for ESPN+, or $13.99 for a bundle of ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+), then follow the below directions for existing ESPN+ subscribers.
However, with the amount of UFC (and other sports) content on ESPN+, most MMA fans are probably going to keep ESPN+ long-term, meaning the value of the bundle is the better way to go if you don’t already have ESPN+.
If You Have ESPN+
Current ESPN+ subscribers can buy the UFC 285 PPV by itself for $74.99 right here:
How to Watch UFC 285
Once you’re signed up for ESPN+ and have purchased the PPV, you can watch UFC 285 on your computer via ESPN.com, or you can watch on the ESPN app on any compatible connected-to-TV streaming device, such as:
Roku or Roku TV
Amazon Fire Stick or Fire TV
Apple TV
Chromecast
PlayStation 4 or 5
Xbox One or Series X/S
iPhone or iPad
Android phone or tablet
Samsung Smart TV
Oculus Go
For all of those options, you’ll need to sign in with your ESPN+ account to watch early prelims (ESPN+), prelims (ESPN News/ESPN+) and the main card (ESPN+ PPV).
UFC 285 Preview
Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) and Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is set to be one of the more hotly anticipated bouts in a while, as Jones makes his return to the Octagon for the first time in three years.
Jones, a legend in the sport and a former longtime light heavyweight champion, is going to make his debut in the heavyweight ranks, as he and Gane are both vying for the vacant heavyweight title. This will be Jones’ first heavyweight bout, and he’ll face the top-ranked heavyweight in the world in Gane.
In his last three matchups, Gane has defeated Derrick Lewis, Francis Ngannou, and most recently, Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa, but Jones doesn’t think Gane is prepared for what he has to offer.
“I respect Ciryl Gane, I really do, but I study film constantly and I just see a lot of patterns,” Jones said about his opponent. “When he’s in one stance, there’s things he really loves to do. He goes to the same well a lot. When he’s in the opposite stance, he has his tendencies. Outside of that, I realized that he doesn’t have much wrestling. He relies on evasion, trying to get away. He relies on jiu-jitsu instead of solid takedown defense, and same with the ground game.”
For his part, Gane says he’s ready to measure himself against a fighter of Jones’ ilk.
“No matter who is between me and the belt, it doesn’t matter, because I want the belt,” Gane told UFC.com. “But now it’s Jon Jones and Jon Jones is ‘The G.O.A.T.’ and if you beat ‘The G.O.A.T.’ even if you don’t have the belt, this is big, so it’s 50/50.”
Jones vacated his lightweight belt in 2020 over rumored financial disagreements with the UFC, and he has since decided to bulk up and try to add more hardware to his repertoire while also hoping to add to his legend. A win here would do it.
“I feel awesome,” Jones added. “I feel like I move really well. I have great pride in my endurance. I feel great. I feel like a stronger version of myself. I’m not super lean, I don’t have a mean six-pack like I used to. That took me a while to get used to back in the day. I would judge my fitness level by how I look in the mirror. I’m a heavyweight now. It’s not about what you look like. It’s about how you perform.”