Dana White labels Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya as the one fight to make in 2021
Dana White has said that the one fight he would love to see in 2021 is Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya.
“Somebody asked me yesterday if you could make one fight in 2021 – that’s the fight that I picked,” White told BT Sport last week. White also gave an update on Jones, saying that talks have been going well and that “he’s ready to come back.”
White says talks with Jones have been going well and that “he’s ready to come back.”
In this video, Patrick Auger and Drake Riggs discuss the potential Jones vs. Adesanya matchup and share their opinion on whether it’ll actually happen. Also, toward the end of the video, Auger and Riggs share their predictions for the fight.
Video summary (watch the full video here):
Will Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya happen?
Riggs: They’re working toward the fight but Adesanya needs to win that LHW title. If he becomes a two-division champion and continues his undefeated run, Jones won’t look like a match for him. Doesn’t believe Jones is going to heavyweight until we see him booked.
Auger: Jones posting a lot of heavyweight-related stuff. Looks like he’s focused on that and I’m convinced he’s making the move. White also said this is the best conversation with Jones he’s ever had.
Who wins Jones vs. Adesanya?
Riggs: Adesanya would likely outstrike Jon for a large portion of the fight because no one can really handle Adesanya in the striking department. Technically, he’s better than Jon. As an overall mixed martial artist, there are not many fighters as capable as Jones. The smart thing for him would be to employ a grappling-heavy strategy, but if he decides to try and beat Adesanya striking, it’s not going to go as well for him. Typically tries to beat opponents at what their best at.
Riggs finds it especially interesting because Jones’ ego may result in him wanting to beat the “best” striker at his own game.
Auger: We’ve seen only a few opportunities against Adesanya. One is Gastelum — he was doing great until he chose to take Adesanya down. Romero also disarmed Adesanya. It wasn’t the best fight and I scored it for Romero. That showed a real weakness for Adesanya. Definitely grown from Gastelum fight — not sure about this one. And then Vettori’s grappling vs. Adesanya. A few different pathways for Jon Jones to win this fight. Auger says Jones is at his best when there’s bad blood, though.