Israel Adesanya believes a fight with Jon Jones is a part of his story, one that’s inevitable. Jones must also be an active fighter in order for this to occur, which is why the champion middleweight division remains awaited.
“He should move up in weight first [before we fight],” Adesanya said at the press conference for his UFC 276 showdown with Jared Cannonier. Stop being on TMZ and go fight Francis [Ngannou],. Get his life together.”
The crowd joined Adesanya and laughed at his obvious dig. Unfortunately, Jones has often been seen more for his actions outside of the cage than inside. There have been many rumors and a lot of preparation since “Bones” last won his lightweight title in February 2020. A booked fight, however, has yet to materialize.
Things appear to be closer than ever to Jones returning. The light heavyweight champ said a fight with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic was targeted for UFC 276, but it was pushed back to September, presumably at UFC 279, because Miocic wanted to prepare as thoroughly as possible.
Adesanya has waited so long, he remains skeptical.
“This is facts, or am I saying anything that’s not true?” he continued. He continued, “Just get your s*** together, [Daniel Cormier] stated it, then start fighting again. There’s no fighting if you’re not fighting.
“I’m the one fighting, I’m staying active, I moved up in weight – not just talking about it. It’s going to happen again. Cementing my own legacy. Right now, I am just concerned about myself. That’s .”
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Adesanya attempts the fifth defense of his middleweight belt and the third since his ill-fated attempt to capture the light heavyweight title against then-champ Jan Blachowicz. Adesanya’s coach and UFC President Dana White have both opened the door to a return to 205 pounds, where Jones dominated for so many years.
Dominance could expedite Adesanya’s move – he is a -300 favorite to defeat Cannonier on July 2 in Las Vegas.
