Jon Jones fight with Adesanya named by White as UFC bout he wants to see most in 2021… but fears it might not happen
DANA WHITE revealed Jon Jones against Israel Adesanya is the fight he most wants to see next year – but fears it might not happen. Jones recently vacated the light-heavyweight crown to make a move up to heavyweight, where Stipe Miocic reigns as champion. In a similar move, middleweight king Israel Adesanya has stepped up […]
DANA WHITE revealed Jon Jones against Israel Adesanya is the fight he most wants to see next year – but fears it might not happen.
Jones recently vacated the light-heavyweight crown to make a move up to heavyweight, where Stipe Miocic reigns as champion.
In a similar move, middleweight king Israel Adesanya has stepped up to light-heavyweight and will challenge new champion Jan Blachowicz.
Despite the weight discrepancy, UFC president White is still desperate to see the rivals settle their score and tips it as the most exciting fight for 2021.
He told TSN: “As a fan, it’s impossible for me not to love Jon Jones versus Israel Adesanya.
“I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I know Jon’s moving to heavyweight and Adesanya’s at light-heavyweight.
“But we’ll see what happens.”
Jones, 33, and Adesanya, 31, have been going back-and-forth with each other online, fuelling a bitter feud.
But it seems if they were to share the octagon, it would have to be at heavyweight.
It comes after three-time champion Jones admitted his business at 205lb is well and truly completed.
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He told ESPN: “The light-heavyweight division was fun, but I just wasn’t scared of those guys anymore.
“Like, none of them. And I think it showed in some of my performances.
“Obviously, I still trained hard. But there was no urgency in some of my last fights.
“With these next guys, I’m going to be going up against, I respect these guys. These guys are intimidating – they’re intimidating as s***.
“It just gets me up in a whole different way.”