There’s been a rivalry growing between light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya in recent months and now UFC president Dana White is getting on-board with it.
Of course, Adesanya has a massive fight looming on Saturday night against current 185lb champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 243, but if he is able to emerge victorious then the fight could happen according to White.
“Those guys have been talking smack back and forth,” White told MMAjunkie this week. “If Israel wins and he really does want to fight Jon Jones, that’s a really big fight.”
However, earlier this week Adesanya indicated that while he’s interested in fighting Jones, he doesn’t see it happening in the next year.
“(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 also appeared to get under Jones’ skin by claiming that he’s not the same fighter he used to be.
“Nah,” Adesanya said when asked if Jones was as good as he used to be. “I saw him live. When you see someone live, you know. Nah, he’s not the same.”
Jones has since retaliated to warn Adesanya that he’ll be waiting for him if he does try to step up to 205lbs.
“Keep convincing yourself that one day you’ll be ready to face a boss like me,” Jones wrote on twitter.. “I’ll keep convincing myself that when that day comes, I will make you my absolute (expletive). …
“I can see you’re starting to sip your own Kool-Aid, I know how it feels, I’ve been there before. Only I was around 23. Just don’t become delusional kid, (expletive) with a beast like me and I will expose you.”
