Ahead of current UFC middleweight champion, Israel ‘The Last Stylebender’ Adesanya’s leap to light heavyweight to challenge for gold opposite, Jan Blachowicz, the undefeated striker has claimed a triumph would be a “big f*ck you” to arch-rival, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.
Adesanya, who has already scored two successful title defences since claiming the undisputed 185-pound title back in October of last year, is set to make his light heavyweight promotional debut in his next fight according to organizational leader, Dana White, where he’ll challenge for championship spoils from the get-go.
Balchowicz, who claimed the title vacated by former two-time division best, Jones at UFC 253 in September, where soon to be opponent, Adesanya took another successful title knockback win over Paulo ‘The Eraser’ Costa – took out Dominick ‘The Devastator’ Reyes in two rounds.
City Kickboxing mainstay, Adesanya, who’ll attempt to become a two-weight world champion held simultaneously in just ten Octagon appearances, has poked fun at Jones, who himself is planning a heavyweight leap next year – pointing out the fact that he’s made the jump in division inside ten fights, compared to Jones’ thirteen years in the UFC.
“”It’s just a big f*ck you to him (Jon Jones), just to be like, I did something you couldn’t,” Adesanya explained to Submission Radio. “I mean, he cleared the division of the light heavyweight twice over and then started fighting recycled middleweights. So, don’t come at me talking about ‘move up in weight and then fight’ when you can’t even do the same thing after over ten years in the company. So, I’m actually about to do. It’s a good fight for me to do it with.“
If Adesanya adds the light heavyweight crown to his UFC trophy cabinet, and Jones claims the heavyweight title upon his division arrival, the former has spoken of his intentions to becomes the promotion’s first-ever three-weight world champion in a mouth-watering meeting with the Jackson-Wink MMA staple.
“I realize I’m about to do something in literally three years, what Jones hasn’t even done in how long in the company? Over ten years,” Adesanya said. “I’m about to do it in three years and move up in weight. He’s doing it now after how long? And we’re still waiting to see if he’s actually gonna do it. And like, it’s crazy how everything’s just set up, man. [When] I take this belt from Jan (Blachowicz), if for whatever reason Jones actually moves up and fights at heavyweight, like, imagine if he got the belt somehow, by some freak of nature, I’m like, f*ck you, I’m going to heavyweight then. Three belts at the same time.“