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Israel Adesanya has words about UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Israel Adesanya is about to face Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 this weekend, and the interim champion already has plans in mind after he takes the undisputed middleweight belt. The Nigerian-New Zealander predicts that he’ll defend that belt a couple of times before moving on to a super-fight with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
He once again used a video game metaphor to outline his goals as he progresses throughout his career.
“(Jon Jones) is definitely a boss in that game I want to play against,” Adesanya told the Mac Life. “Raiders Stadium, in Las Vegas, that’s were it’s going to happen. I decided in July, when I was in Vegas.
“The middleweight division is getting stacked right now. Costa, I got to take care of, and a few others. I’m saying 2021… probably early.”
Adesanya, who said in the past that Jones was “great” when USADA wasn’t around, reiterated that he doesn’t think the light heavyweight champion is the same fighter anymore.
“Nah,” Adesanya replied to the interviewer. “I saw him live. When you see someone live, you know. Nah, he’s not the same.”
Adesanya and Jones have had a back and forth in the media the last several months. Jones even offered to help prepare Whittaker, which elicited a response from Adesanya, who mocked the light heavyweight champion’s striking skills.
As for the odds of this super-fight actually happening, Dana White doesn’t seem too opposed to the idea… if Adesanya can take Whittaker’s belt. As seven other middleweights could attest, that’s a pretty big “if.”