Ciryl Gane caught the attention of Jon Jones with his sterling performance Sunday night at UFC Freedom 250.
Gane became a two-time interim heavyweight champion at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn, where he battered and finished Alex Pereira in the second round of their co-headliner.
Moments afterward, Jones took to social media to offer “congratulations” while also sharing a video of himself wearing a goat chain as he watched Gane announced as the winner.
Jon Jones reacts to Ciryl Gane finishing Alex Pereira with the GOAT necklace 👀#UFCWhiteHousepic.twitter.com/x6YWdUPXra
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 15, 2026
Congratulations to the new heavyweight champion Gane, you looked great out there tonight. ~🐐
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 15, 2026
In March 2023, Jones finished Gane in his heavyweight debut to claim the then-vacant title with a first-round submission at UFC 285.
Jones, who turns 39 next month, hasn’t competed since defending the heavyweight title in a TKO win over Stipe Miocic in November 2024. Jones later vacated the belt and announced his retirement, which was widely viewed as him ducking then-interim champ Tom Aspinall.
In the buildup to UFC Freedom 250, Jones made it abundantly clear that he wanted to fight at the White House, but UFC CEO Dana White wouldn’t allow it.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Ciryl Gane win gets surprise reaction from Jon Jones
