Israel Adesanya: Jon Jones needs me in order to stay relevant

Speaking to ESPN, Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) said Jones keeps bringing up his name simply to remain in the headlines.

“I don’t need him. Actually, I’ll say he needs me if he wants to stay relevant,” Adesanya said. “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.”

UFC president Dana White seems on board with a potential Jones vs. Adesanya fight down the line but thinks that Adesanya has to get through a few challengers first. Adesanya headlines UFC 248 next month against Yoel Romero, but Adesanya disagrees with White’s notion.

Adesanya is confident that, if he wanted to, he could just face Jones now, but that won’t be how he writes his story.

“I don’t think I have to,” Adesanya said. “I could have done my next fight (vs.) Jones if I wanted to, but this division has been held up for so long because the former champion (Robert Whittaker) was pulling out of fights, was sick, and was holding up the division. So for me, I have to do right like the greats. Like Anderson Silva who defended 12 times, the greats like him. I want to do right by the division and defend my belt, so I’m saying if you want to come down and see me, come see me, but let me get my job done first.

“I’ve got (Paulo) Costa, (Jared) Cannonier, Darren Till is a fresh new name. If Kelvin (Gastelum) can re-up and get back on the chopping block, he can get it, but there’s a few other guys that I want to get to – not have to, I want to get to. I want to defend my belt a few more times before I step up and fight someone like Jon Jones.”

Minus the one career blemish on Jones’ record via disqualification, he’s never lost. Jones is widely considered one of, if not, the greatest fighter of all time, and Adesanya hopes he’s the one that gets to shock the world.

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

https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020...vant-without-me/amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

I have to disagree with Adesanya here. Jones is alongside Khabib the most dominant active champion, how does he need Adesanya?
Not that he couldn't benefit from fighting Adesanya, with all the money it'd bring, but saying Jones needs him? Nah.

 

Bones chokes him to sleep round 2/3



.... actually I’ll take jones via tko by hellbows round 3

 

Another utterly delusional fighter.

Jones has no need for any newbie 185lb champ. Why Adesanya has such a stupid jones weird obsession, we can only ....guess.

 

Adesanya sounding annoying again. How could Jones, the most dominant and consistent fighter ever need a fresh young talent?

 

Can't wait to see gender bender ktfo

 

What an idiot

If he were to enter the octagon with jones? he would be crying into a pillow and have Andrew nursing him day and night!

 

I think he meant Jones needed Adesanya to keep him fresh and current. Adesanya is a big name right now and has a big following.

 

I know man! I just don't agree here. As i menitoned, it'd surely be good for Jones' purse, but Jones is far from fading into obscurity without Adesanya.

 

I love watching Izzy fight but he is delusional about Jones. Jon talks smack about him but he would fight him tommorow. Adesanya talks mad smack but "has to do right by the division first".
I know Izzy is confident, but Jones would murder him. And it's a lose/lose for Jones. If he loses is really bad, if he wins he just beat a skinny middleweight.

 

Alright Izzy, you've only just became champion. Get a streak like Jones going and then you can talk about relevancy.

 

They're just poking each other every now and then. xD

 

Not really. After yoel and Paulo who cares. Seems like Izzy needs him more.

 

This dude is getting worse and worse every day.

 

Izzy is like a chihuahua barking through the fence at a pitbull at this point.

 

I don't recall Jones saying anything about him in the lead up to this fight

Meanwhile Bender-San has Yoel coming up and well...Here we are.



Think it might be the other way around

 

I think Adesanya is right, because Jon has cleaned out the division multiple times at this point. Unless he moves to HW, Jon has accomplished all he’s going to accomplish. I don’t think most people give a shit about Jon fighting all these characters that no one knows. If not talking about Adesanya, no one pays attention to Jon, specially while he fights nobodies.

 

Because a significant number of fans think Jon Jones’ legacy is tarnished.

Less and less people also seem interested in watching him with each passing fight too.

 

Well Jones is about to break the record for title fight wins in the UFC....

For a big money fight I do believe he needs Israel, Stipe, or Ngannou