We Might See Adesanya Fighting at 205 Pounds Next Year

Israel Adesanya is arguably the UFC’s biggest star right now. He recently proved he’s the best middleweight on the planet with a second-round TKO over Paulo Costa. Now that he’s almost cleared out the middleweight division, many now believe we’ll see Adesanya fighting at 205 pounds next year.

It’s an exciting prospect for fans. Israel has been verbally sparring with Jon Jones for months. Some feel that Jon could move back into the light-heavyweight division to face off against Adesanya. Today, we’re going to talk about when this change in weight class could take place.

Let’s get into it!

Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones Continue Their War of Words

MMA fans love a good rivalry. We’ve seen a huge number of intense feuds build in the UFC over the past decade. These are the kind of fights that draw in massive Pay-Per-View numbers. Recently, a new rivalry has formed between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones.

It’s not entirely clear what started this conflict. Over the past few months, however, things have gotten personal between these men. Adesanya and Jones are now involving family members into their war of words and seem to genuinely dislike each other.

Jon recently went on a Twitter tirade explaining his desire to fight Adesanya. In the end, however, it seems he feels Israel is unwilling to compete anytime soon.

Fighter and coach is mentioning my name in interviews but refused to sign the dotted line. Straight hoe shit. Mention a mans dead mother over the Internet but looking to fight Jared cannoneer 😩

— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 5, 2020

“Fighter and coach is mentioning my name in interviews but refused to sign the dotted line. Straight h*e shit. Mention a mans dead mother over the Internet but looking to fight Jared cannoneer.”

Things are clearly getting intense between these men. Fans around the world are now calling for a bout between them. Interestingly, some of the best UFC betting sites in the world are now offering odds on which fighter would come out on top. That includes BetOnline, one of the best online sportsbooks in the country.

For now, Israel Adesanya is listed as the -105 underdog. He’s proven to be one of the best strikers in the world and has significantly improved his takedown defense over the years. Jones comes in as the -115 favorite. He’s the bigger man and likely possesses the grappling advantage.

We’re now beginning to hear more about Israel’s move up in weight.

Coach Claims We’re Likely to See Adesanya Fighting at 205 Pounds Soon

Over the past few years, the City Kickboxing gym in Auckland, New Zealand has become one of the most respected MMA training facilities on the planet. Head coach Eugene Bareman has been widely credited with the success of his fighters including Israel Adesanya. Bareman is known for his methodical approach to the game and seems to be a part of his fighter’s plans for the future.

It’s clear that Israel Adesanya plans to move up in weight at some point in his career. First, however, he wants to take on a few more challengers at middleweight. This week, coach Bareman spoke to the media about Israel’s plans for the future. He claims that we’re likely to see Adesanya fighting at 205 pounds at some point.

“If he goes to heavyweight, goes to light heavyweight, goes up and loses two fights, three fights, wins the next three fights, Israel has his heart set on that fight. So yeah, that fight’s gonna happen, I’m just not sure when,” he said. “If we needed to fight that fight in the next six months, then I would be happy to do that, but again, that’s a team decision. That’s how we work.”

This is what fans wanted to hear. The UFC now has a number of superstars on its roster. Perhaps no fight would be quite as big as the one between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones, though. We could see this fight taking place sometime next year, perhaps inside the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Before this fight comes together, however, Jones wants to move up in weight to challenge for the heavyweight title. It’s another exciting idea and one that seems likely to take place soon. The heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, seems open to the idea.

How does Jon Jones match up against Stipe?

Odds on Jones at Heavyweight Are Still Available Online

The UFC is in a great place right now. There are some massive fights on the horizon that fans are already getting excited about. A few months ago, reports surfaced that Jon Jones was vacating his 205-pound belt to move into the heavyweight division.

Many have been calling for this move for years. Jones has defeated every man he’s faced at light-heavyweight. Some feel that only a heavyweight has the skills and size to give Jon any real trouble inside the cage.

This move up in weight is official, yet no one knows when exactly Jones’ first fight in the weight class will take. There seem to be two possible opponents for the former champ. Each of these possibilities is highly intriguing.

The next heavyweight championship is likely to take place between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. Miocic is widely considered the greatest heavyweight champion in the world and already holds a victory over Ngannou. Francis is a devastating striker, though, and is coming off four first-round knockouts.

Jones is expected to face the winner of this fight. At the moment, he’s listed as the -150 to beat Stipe Miocic. Against Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones comes in as the +125 underdog. These odds may change as either fight draws closer. We’ll continue offering updates over the next few months!

Are you excited to see Adesanya fighting at 205 pounds? How do you think he’d do against Jon Jones? Let us know in the comments section below!