UFC: Israel Adesanya wants to fight Jon Jones at heavyweight after one year of defending middleweight title – ‘shut up and I’ll see you when it’s time’

Middleweight champion Adesanya wants to defend his belt ‘three more times this year’ before Jones showdown

Jones does not see their paths crossing as ‘I don’t think Izzy wants to fight me’

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Israel Adesanya during his successful middleweight title defence against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in Australia last year. Photo: EPA

Published: 6:17pm, 1 Feb 2020Updated: 12:22pm, 3 Feb 2020

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya insists he will face pound-for-pound number one Jon Jones at some point – even if it means moving up to heavyweight.

While Nigerian-New Zealander Adesanya (professional MMA record 18-0) is scheduled to fight Olympian Yoel Romero at UFC 248 on March 8, and American Jones (25-1-1) faces the undefeated light-heavyweight Dominick Reyes even sooner at UFC 247 next weekend, the pair have been throwing shade at each other over social media.

“What did he say? I saw it on Instagram, that ‘by the time he goes to heavyweight whatever’ … I’ve never given a [expletive] about weight. I’ve been a heavyweight in boxing and kick-boxing, and I’ll do it again in MMA,” the 30-year-old Adesanya told Submission Radio.

“He’s trying to run to heavyweight but I’ll chase him down if I have to. Let him go to heavyweight. I’m working at middleweight. He can [jump] the line but I’m sure he can’t do that because his frame won’t let him do that. So let me do my work. Shut the [expletive] up and I’ll see you when it’s time. If Dom wins, it doesn’t matter, I’m still coming for that.”

The 32-year-old Jones, who successfully defended his belt against Thiago Santos in July last year, told BT Sport on Wednesday that he does not believe their paths will cross as “I don’t think Izzy wants to fight me”.