Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“Skills, bro.”
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be putting his 185-pound duties on hold to jump up in weight and challenge light heavyweight kingpin Jan Blachowicz, a championship showdown that is expected to take place in March 2021.
Just don’t expect “The Last Stylebender” to pack on the pounds like former 205-pound titleholder Jon Jones. “Bones” is known for posting weightlifting videos to tease his eventual move to the heavyweight division, even if it has the opposite effect.
“That’s Jon ‘Blow’ Jones downfall,” Adesanya told Submission Radio. “Like, ‘I need to move up in weight, pack on the size’. Some people are just stupid, they play the game so stupid. I’ve done it at kickboxing, I weighed in at heavyweight with my clothes on and a tray of Dunkin Donuts in my hand, and I was like 90-something kilograms. Like, skills, bro.”
Former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre once bulked up to challenge Michael Bisping for the 185-pound strap and it nearly killed him, so perhaps Adesanya is better off just trying to match his skills (and not his size) against “Polish Power.”
“Yeah, sure, you want to put on size? Alright. Is your body used to being that heavy? Are you used to moving around that heavy with the work-rate you were doing with all your previous fights? Yeah, I just don’t play the game like everyone else,” Adesanya continued. “I’ll just chill, I’ll stay me. I’m gonna get stronger, I always do, but I’m not gonna purposely put on muscle just so I can be at a weight class. Stupid.”
Jones was expected to make his heavyweight debut at some point in early 2021, though he may have a change of heart if Adesanya captures the light heavyweight title “Bones” vacated earlier this year in hopes of making a run at 265 pounds.