UFC 247: Jon Jones And Israel Adesanya Trade More And More Blows

Jon Jones defeated Dominick Reyes this past weekend, to defend his UFC light heavyweight title. While the result may have been controversial, the 32 year old’s win in the UFC 247 main event was his fourteenth UFC title fight win, more than anyone else in the promotion’s history. Despite the belt being on the line against a very worthy opponent, a lot of the questions aimed at the champion during fight week were about Israel Adesanya.

The two have been going back and forth in interviews and on social media for almost a year. And with Adesanya also in town during fight week, it was inevitable that the UFC middleweight champion was also asked about Jones all week.

With so much back and forth between the two all week, we’ve put all their best moments hitting out at each other, into one article.

Starting out with Jon Jones, talking on The Ariel Helwani Show last Monday.

“People can eat up what he’s saying, but the truth of the matter is he’s scared today. He’ll be scared in 2021, as well. This is all what he’s saying. At the end of the day, dude, I’m so far ahead when it comes to, I mean, you name it in every sense of this game, I’m so far ahead of this kid. So the fact that I am even talking about him right now, I’m just going to stop.

“I don’t want to come across as arrogant, but in the grand scheme of things, I’m a man and he’s like a child when it comes to this game, what I’ve proven already, what I’ve done, where I’m going.”


Speaking the next day on The Rich Eisen Show, Adesanya didn’t have to wait long to respond to Jones’ comments.


Speaking Wednesday on ESPN’s Now Or Never (as transcribed by MMA Junkie), Adesanya continued to hit out at Jones, saying that the UFC 205lbs champion needs him to stay relevant.

“I don’t need him. Actually, I’ll say he needs me if he wants to stay relevant. Because he’s already done a lot in his legacy which is tainted by other things he’s done outside the ring but, for right now to stay relevant, to stay current, he needs me.

“He can keep trying, but he’s got someone else to worry about right now this weekend with Dominick Reyes, so he better focus on that rather than focusing on me.

“I kinda keep hoping he wins. I keep hoping he keeps his streak up so when I do it, everyone will be like, ‘Wow, he really did that.’”


Speaking to MMA Fighting on Thursday, Jones however said that he had no interest in fighting Adesanya.

“Honestly, I have no interest in Israel, at the end of the day. Anderson Silva was a guy everyone wanted to see me fight and I never wanted to do it because I had so much respect for Anderson. I feel the same way with Izzy but it’s not coming from a place of respect. It’s like my career isn’t based around fighting him. Him to fight me, it would be huge for his resume. But for me, I feel like I already have so many legends under my resume but he’s not even a legend.

“We’ve all seen that video of him fighting some Alex [Pereira] guy and catching a clean overhand right. So he’s very human to me. He’s not some special guy. I don’t see what everybody else is seeing in him. I think his whole anime thing and how he’s all [frantic] with his hands and all this crazy stuff, I think that’s kind of entertaining to a certain fanbase but for me, it’s like dude, I would slap you, get out of here kid.

“If I can possibly break numbers here in Houston, I can only imagine what could happen if I went to Australia or one of these other countries where they never expect to see me,” Jones said. “I think the people would come out and that’s what it’s about. Giving love, sharing it. [Adesanya] is [a big draw in Australia’. I bet I’d be an even bigger [draw].”


Also on Thursday, Adesanya was a guest on ESPN’s Sports Center, where he said he wanted to be the man to dethrone ‘the old man’, Jones (as transcribed by The Mac Life).

“This all happened because Jones put my name in his mouth. He was a fan, and he was liking what I was doing but he realised that — Dominick’s a beast, if he sleeps on Dominick, he’s gonna get slept — but he knows the real money fight is with a guy like me. A guy that’s coming up.

“He’s like the old jock. Like he says I’m a boy, right? He’s the old man. Old, washed-up man. He’s been around the game for ten years, I’ve only been here two years. Only two years and look what I’ve done. What I’m gonna do. So he sees the future and then trying to set himself up for a big fight, which will happen. I already said it’s going to happen regardless of weight, regardless of if he has the title or not. I want that fight because I want to challenge myself against one of the guys who I consider is one of the best of this generation.

“I sort of hope he wins this weekend so when I get my hands on him and I take him out it’ll solidify that I’m the best and I’m the GOAT of all time,” Adesanya said.


Adesanya let rip at Jones again on Friday. Speaking at the UFC 248 pre-fight press conference, ‘The Last Stylebender’ reiterated his previous statements in 2019, that he will face ‘Bones’ at the Allegiant Stadium, which is currently being built in Las Vegas.

“No, I don’t need to but I want to. I don’t need to but I want to and Dana [White], tell [Las Vegas Raiders owner] Mark [Davis] book the date, Raiders Stadium 2021, International Fight Week, it goes down.”

When asked about Jones again, Adesanya didn’t mince his words.

“F*** Jon Jones. This is about [UFC] 248. Enough of that motherf***er. That pulsing-picto-p****. That mighty pulsing power picto roid-head. F*** that c***. We’re done with him.”


Jones probably thought he had the last word on between the two, when he gave a very simple response, when asked about Israel at the UFC 247 post fight press conference.

“No comment. I’m only here so I don’t get fined.”

However, Adesanya hadn’t finished with Jones yet. Speaking to Sporting News on Monday, the UFC middleweight champion stated that Jon’s best days are behind him.

“I’ve seen him. I’ve seen what I needed to see. In the fifth round, he tried to turn it on, but he couldn’t. Compare his fifth round to my fifth round against Kelvin Gastelum; there’s a difference. 

“He’s washed up. He’s done. His best years are behind him. He’s still great, but he’s washed up now. He wasn’t doing s***. He was winning the rounds, but it wasn’t really doing s***. He was trying, but there’s levels to this.”

Assuming Israel Adesanya gets his way and fights Jon Jones in July 2021 at the new Raiders Stadium in Las Vegas, who wins?


See also:


Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Leave comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.