The UFC 285 Countdown video opens with footage from the profession of Jon Jones. Below the video are the voices of Max Kellerman, Dana White, Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, and Dominick Cruz amongst others, all signing the praises of the previous UFC mild heavyweight champion. The voiceover then mentions that on “March 4, Jones will compete for the vacant heavyweight crown.” The subsequent 45 minutes of promo materials for Saturday’s pay-per-view card goes in depth on all of the ins, outs, ups and downs of this coming Saturday’s epic battle towards Ciryl Gane.
Nicely, all besides one. It by no means mentions why that title occurs to be vacant.
It’s simply the most recent chapter for the UFC in an extended historical past of petty erasure, because the promotion seems to be to consistently replace and re-write its personal historical past.
If Jones was going through somebody apart from Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, the absence of the previous heavyweight champion—Francis Ngannou—from the video may nearly be defined away with a shrug and a figuring out grin. Provided that Gane simply misplaced to Ngannou in a heavyweight title unification bout in February 2022, nonetheless, erasing the ex-champ from the UFC 285 buildup required that a lot additional focused skullduggery.
The UFC spent almost two minutes talking about—and exhibiting—Gane’s interim title-winning victory over Derrick Lewis. They then spent a full 30 seconds reviewing his failure to unify these titles towards Ngannou. Not as soon as throughout any of even that temporary part does the promotion point out the identify of the person (Francis Ngannou) who retained his heavyweight title that evening in Anaheim.
I perceive the highest brass would possibly really feel scorned after the ‘Predator’ left the promotion as a free agent when he and the Endeavor-owned group couldn’t come to phrases on a contract, however disagreements like that ought to be a normal a part of doing enterprise. That the UFC received all up in its emotions about him leaving to the purpose the place they’d refuse to acknowledge any a part of his legacy or that truly pretty fascinating and dramatic story that performs into the rationale this combat is even occurring in any respect doesn’t make that truth go away. However, it makes the UFC look bitter and trifling.
Close to the tip of the promo for Saturday’s contest between Jones and Gane, the narrator mentions the combat is for the “undisputed” heavyweight title. Proper now, irrespective of who finally ends up holding the belt aloft within the Octagon by the tip of the evening, that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
UFC 285 takes place Saturday at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. The principle card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
