JON JONES tipped the scales at a whopping 248lbs for his long-awaited heavyweight debut.
Eleven years after first toying with the move, the former pound-for-pound king finally steps up to take on the UFC’s big boys and challenge for the vacant heavyweight title.
CHISANGA MALATAJon Jones makes his long-awaited heavyweight debut this weekend at UFC 285[/caption]
Jon Jones came in at a whopping 248lbs
Jones, 35, will be welcomed back to the octagon by former interim champion Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 285 in Las Vegas.
The former long-reigning light-heavyweight champion has taken three years out to build a frame capable of competing with the UFC’s big boys.
And fans finally learned how heavy he’ll be during the early morning weigh-ins at the UFC Apex.
A beefier-than-usual Jones came in at 248lbs as he stepped on scales early this morning.
Opponent Gane, a natural heavyweight, weighed in considerably earlier than Jones but was half a pound lighter.
Jones’ hulking frame was the result of hundreds of hours in the gym and thousands of gruelling repetitions.
And he ended his latest training camp with some incredible lifts.
He revealed to SunSport at the UFC 285 media day: “I ended up off training camp bench pressing 315 (143kg) for five [reps].
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“Deadlifts was about 640lbs and my squat was about 500lbs, maybe 520lbs, somewhere around there.
“Towards the end, I wasn’t going for big numbers.
“I was just going for explosiveness and muscular endurance. But I’ve got pretty strong over the last three years.”
His’ incredible body transformation was borne out of a whopping 4,500-calorie daily diet.
And it helped him reach a peak weight of 267lbs (121kg).
He said: “A few months ago, I got up to 267.
“But I felt a little more bloated and I didn’t like my endurance at that weight.
“I plan on competing right around, anywhere between, 245 and 250lbs.”