Israel Adesanya celebrates a title defense at UFC 248.
Israel Adesanya shifts focus of potential Jon Jones fight to December
Israel Adesanya has made it known, he wants a fight with Jon Jones, and his plan has been to fight him at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium in front of a packed crowd in the summer of 2021. For multiple reasons, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Adesanya’s move up to light heavyweight, and Jon Jones’ move up to heavyweight, that timeline has changed for a potential fight between the two superstars.
Now that Adesanya is fighting for the light heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 this weekend, and Jones is working his way up to heavyweight awaiting the winner of the upcoming heavyweight championship fight, things have seemingly been put on hold between the two. Because of their scheduling differences, Israel Adesanya is changing the timeframe for the potential fight between him and Jones to later this year.
During an interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Adesanya discussed the potential fight and why he feels he has to shift the focus of that fight happening later in 2021, around December of this year.
“Unfortunately it might not be summer or July, but there’s still December. There’s still December 2021. It could happen then. all I know is that this fight [with Jon Jones] needs a crowd. I can’t do that in an empty arena.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has struck the world in March of 2020, the sports world and everyday life has had to adjust to new restrictions and limitations on what can be done, such as no fans in attendance for live sporting events. The UFC was the first professional sport back as the pandemic halted all major sports in the Spring of 2020 and they have continued to put on events since UFC 249 in May of 2020. The UFC did not have fans back in attendance until UFC 257 this January when they had a stretch of 3 events on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Recently, UFC President Dana White says he’s hopeful fans can return to packed arenas this summer, but even so, it sounds like a fight between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones will have to wait just a bit longer in 2021, if it does happen.
