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The Jon Jones-Israel Adesanya saga simply won't die down. Dana White called it "the fight to make," and he might just be right. Given how the two have been having back-and-forths on Twitter for a while now, one would think that the UFC would have plans to book Israel Adesanya against Jon Jones soon.
However, Jon Jones moving up to Heavyweight and vacating his title may have delayed those plans further. MMAFighting asked Israel Adesanya about his thoughts on Jon Jones, and he made it clear that he never talks about the former Light Heavyweight Champion unless asked about it.
Israel Adesanya doubted Jon Jones' desire to move up to Heavyweight:
“This is the thing — he keeps saying, ‘Is he really ready to move up in weight?’ Is he really ready to move up in weight?” Adesanya said on Jones’ potential move to heavyweight. “It’s been damn near since 2013 he’s been teasing, ‘I’m going to move up to heavyweight.’ It’s 2020. Is he ever going to be ready to move up in weight? Yet they’re trying to make me move up in weight early so that way they can get me."
Israel Adesanya said that Jon Jones knows exactly how valuable a fight against him is:
“Jon’s been in my position before. He understands the power of momentum. He understands what a win like this does for me. They wish they got me three fights ago. They wish they got me just after I got the belt. That’s why when I got the belt, he’s the one that brought my name up first that he wanted to fight me. You know why? Cause he knew that I was a threat. He knew I was a big money fight.”
While the offer seems tempting, Israel Adesanya is insistent on following his track of creating a legacy in the Middleweight division. The Last Stylebender vowed to face him in International Fight Week (July) 2021:
“I’ve said it already – International Fight Week 2021,” Adesanya revealed. “He’s still trying to make it happen ASAP."
Will one more title defense lead to the super fight?
Had Jon Jones not vacated the Light Heavyweight Championship, he likely would have had to get through Jan Blachowicz. However, it would also have led him to a Champion vs. Champion fight with Israel Adesanya.
Of course, this is all under the assumption that Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones would keep their winning streaks intact. Adesanya still has to get through either Jared Cannonier or Robert Whittaker, and the next in line could be Jon Jones.
