UFC 248: Israel Adesanya Explains Why He’s Not “Rushing” to Fight Jon Jones

In recent months, there’s been a lot of talk about when and if Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones will fight. But, as Adesanya gets set to battle Yoel Romero this Saturday, the 185 champ’s explained why he doesn’t plan to fight “Bones” anytime soon.

Adesanya explains why he’s not “rushing” to fight Jones

The UFC’s middleweight champ and Jones have been trading verbal shots online and through the media for a little while now. The beef started growing after Adesanya said he planned to hunt down Jones, just as he did with another great, Anderson Silva. Jones, however, didn’t take the comment in stride, and over the preceding months the two have formed quite the rivalry.

Well, Adesanya is set to make his first title defense this Saturday against Romero at UFC 248. But, despite the fact he’s about to face one of the most dangerous middleweights on the planet, talk about Adesanya vs. Jones hasn’t gone away.

While talking to MMA Fighting recently, however, Adesanya had this to say about facing his fellow champ.

“I could have jumped up already and fought at light heavyweight like everyone else is doing but I want to wipe out the division like guys like Demetrious Johnson and guys like Georges St-Pierre,” Adesanya said. “Guys like Anderson Silva, who stuck with a division, cleaned it out and then moved up.

“Jon Jones hasn’t done that. He’s been there 10 years and he’s expecting me to move up in just my second year in the company. Me, I like middleweight and I’d like to clean it out but I like to challenge myself. That’s what it’s about.

“That’s why I’m not rushing,” Adesanya said. “That’s why I said I’ll get to Jon Jones in 2021 when I say so. That’s why I’m not rushing. I make moves on my terms.”

Timeline makes sense

While almost everyone and their dog would like to see Adesanya and Jones fight, the 30 year-old’s timeline here make sense. If Adesanya gets by Romero on Saturday, he’ll almost certainly be booked to fight Paulo Costa next. Considering UFC 248 is taking place on March 7th, a bout with Costa probably wouldn’t happen until summer.

As it stands right now, those are the two big fights at 185 for Adesanya. So, it’s possible a push for him to fight Jones, say, in December, could happen if they both continue to hold onto their belts. But, by then, Jared Cannonier, Darren Till or possibly even Edmen Shahbazyan could be in line for a title shot at 185.

Jones, meanwhile, has a rematch with Dominick Reyes as a possibility or a bout with Jan Blachowicz.

UFC 248 will be hosted by the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.