Israel Adesanya undaunted on Jon Jones superfight plans

Undefeated Israel Adesanya aimed higher perhaps than anyone in the history of the sport. After winning the interim middleweight championship, unifying it, and successfully defending it twice, he moved up 20 pounds to challenge light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.

“Prince of Poland” won the belt after it was vacated by Jon Jones, who has moved up to heavyweight and will challenge the winner of current champion Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou. Adesanya believes Jones will win, and planned to challenge for the heavyweight title as well. However, Adesanya lost Blachowicz via Unanimous Decision. At the post-fight media conference, UFC president Dana White put a fork in Adesanya’s grand plan, at least for the foreseeable future.

Listen, he’s the middleweight champion. He doesn’t get the light heavyweight title, he doesn’t get Jon Jones, said White. But you know what, you never hurt somebody for trying to be big and trying to become great.”

However, during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show, Adesanya was asked if the Jones superfight plans were over, and responded with two words.

Hell no, said Adesanya. This is just a valley in my story. In any movie, in any anime series, you always have the valleys and you rise up from that. This is just mine and it’s like, all right, cool, bet. I’m taking this very well, and I know exactly what I have to do to get back to my true self, so yeah, I’m doing just that. But nah, that fight’s not dead. I’m coming for that ass.

This is deeper than fighting now. He knows, we know, we all know what he’s like. We all know how fake he is. It’s not even gonna take long before he f***s his life up again if he hasn’t already and kept it low-key and swept it under the rug. You had quarantine Izzy last time going at him and just giving facts, straight facts, so I’m just taking my time right now, doing my own thing, focusing on myself. But, he should do the same because his life could be in shambles.

Jones was bitter on Twitter about Adesanya, before, during, and after the Blachowicz loss.

That shows his character, said Adesanya. Find a tweet of me tweeting after he wins even against Dominick Reyes. Find a tweet of me kicking him when everyone is s****ing on him. He barely beat Thiago Santos; Dominick Reyes arguably kicked his ass. Find the tweet of me going at him and taking a victory lap. This shows the character of who we are. It shows the character of what kind of people we are … it just shows the character. I mean, time will tell. This just shows me his true character, so I bet this is how you want him to play it, cool. Wait until he loses – just time will tell. That’s all I’ll say.

h/t Farah Hannoun for MMA Junkie