Tyron Woodley says Israel Adesanya ducked Jon Jones at 205lbs
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley says that Israel Adesanya ducked Jon Jones by moving up to light heavyweight when he did.
Adesanya, the UFC middleweight champion, moves to 205lbs at UFC 259 when he takes on UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. For fans, it’s exciting to see Adesanya competing at another weight class in an attempt to win a second UFC title, but for a lot of fans, the Blachowicz fight is not the one they were expecting. Many fans were instead hoping that Adesanya would make his 205lbs debut against Jones because there is genuine beef between these two and because it’s just a bigger fight. However, it just so happens that Adesanya is moving up to light heavyweight at the same time Jones is going to heavyweight.
Speaking to Helen Yee, Woodley was asked his thoughts on Adesanya moving up to light heavyweight. “The Chosen One” was highly critical of “The Last Stylebender,” accusing him of ducking Jones at 205lbs.
“I thought he had some business to do in the middleweight division, and he was going to wait. And the second Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight, he moved up to 205lbs,” Woodley said of Adesanya.
“I can’t even think past the fact he completely said he was not going up to 205lbs and face Jon Jones. If you’re the best — if somebody asked me to go and fight (Michael) Bisping, I’m doing it. — if you want to say you’re the best, now you’re going up to fight Jan and you wouldn’t do it to fight Jon? That makes no sense. The payday’s way different and when someone talks and says they’re this and that, and then they get the opportunity to go against the greatest of all time and want to wait two years, it doesn’t make sense.”
Adesanya and Jones openly spoke about this fight for the past several years, getting fans excited about a potential matchup, only to see Adesanya move up to 205lbs after Jones announced he was making the move to heavyweight. That’s something that really irked Woodley, who came to the defense of Jones.
“Don’t go around talking crap about Jon and to Jon, and Jon’s like, ‘Alright let’s go.’ Then you’re like, ‘Nah I’ll get to you in two years.’ Then one year later, Jon goes up, and now you’re up,” Woodley said.
Do you agree with Tyron Woodley and his criticism about Israel Adesanya moving up at 205lbs at the same time Jon Jones left the light heavyweight division?
