Since making his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in early 2018, Israel Adesanya has drawn comparisons to a couple of the greatest fighters to ever step foot inside the Octagon: Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
Other than the obvious similar tall and slim body types Israel and Jon have, there isn’t much else that “Bones” sees he has in common with “The Last Stylebender.” Especially when it comes to the fighting department.
“We have similar body types and we’re both black,” joked Jones during a recent interview with UFC. “And that’s about it. I don’t think we fight alike, I don’t think we fight similar. I do a lot of wrestling, heavy ground-and-pound, a lot of submissions. I strike in both stances. I feel like our games are very different,” he added while saying he feels Israel will be a force in the fight game.
“But I do respect him, a lot. I think he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. He is great for the sport, great talker and he finishes fights. He is a very exciting young man.”
Going undefeated thus far in his pro mixed martial arts (MMA) career (15-0, 4-0 UFC), Israel will face the toughest challenge of his career this Saturday night when he faces former UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, in the co-main event of UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia.
Speaking of which, it seems Adesanya is growing tired of constantly being talked about as a younger-version of “The Spider.” While a compliment, Adesanya wants to make it known he is his own man, has his own fighting style and is determined to leave his own mark.
With a win over the former top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Israel could set himself up for a shot at the division strap, currently held by Robert Whittaker. And who knows, if he can blitz through the division much like Jones has done at 205-pounds, calls for a super fight between Israel and Jon could heat up in a couple of years.