UFC285: Conor McGregor makes surprise appearance at Jon Jones, Ciryl Gane weigh-in

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane made weight Friday (March 3) ahead of this weekend's UFC285 heavyweight showdown in Las Vegas.

For Jones it's a return to the octagon after a three-year absence as he seeks to re-stake his claim to be the greatest fighter of all time, despite his many troubles.

It speaks volumes about his stature in the sport that the 35-year-old will get an immediate shot at the heavyweight title against France's Gane, despite not fighting since beating Dominick Reyes in February 2020.

Though undoubtedly one of the most talented fighters ever to pull on a pair of four-ounce MMA gloves, Jones has often been his own worst enemy, as failed drug tests and incidents outside the cage have damaged his reputation.

The New York native was stripped of his light heavyweight title in 2015 after a hit-and-run incident involving a pregnant woman, and in 2016 he was stripped of the interim title and given a year-long ban for a positive drug test.

In 2017 he tested positive again, this time for the steroid Turinabol, but each time the UFC welcomed him back with open arms once he had served his ban.

He beat Sweden's Alexander Gustafsson to reclaim the belt in 2018 and seemed to be holding it together until an allegation of domestic violence in Las Vegas in 2021, which led to him pleading no contest to a charge of tampering with a police vehicle during his arrest.

Saturday represents the latest in a long line of second chances for one of the sport's most notorious figures, and a win for the bulked-up Jones will see his name thrust into discussions about who is the best in the world at the moment.

Conor McGregor made a surprise appearance after the Jones and Gane weigh-in, taking the stage to cheers from the crowd and promoting a film he is working on with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

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