Published 13:40 IST, November 2nd 2020
Israel Adesanya will take on LHW champ Jan Blachowicz, not Robert Whittaker: Dana White
Dana White recently announced that Israel Adesanya will move up to 205 pounds to challenge the recently crowned light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz.
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will soon have an opportunity to become a champ-champ as Dana White recently announced that The Last Stylebender would move up to 205 pounds to challenge the recently crowned light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz. Dana White added that Israel Adesanya was initially scheduled to fight number one contender Robert Whittaker in a rematch, but those plans were torn up after Whittaker denied to fight the middleweight king.
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker first fought at UFC 243, where the Stylebender TKOed The Reaper to win the middleweight crown.
Israel Adesanya has teased a move up to light heavyweight for quite some time but always stressed that he planned on pursuing another title after he defeated everyone in the middleweights. Initially, Adesanya hoped to defend his title against Jared Cannonier, but after Cannonier lost to Whittaker at UFC 254 and picked up some injuries, the match was scrapped. Since no major opponents are currently available to face him in the middleweight division, Israel Adesanya will begin his light heavyweight journey by facing the champ himself.
“There’s no arguing with Israel now. I thought Whittaker deserved the shot and Whittaker doesn’t want it so we’ll let him do it (fight Jan Blachowicz),” Dana White said at UFC Vegas 12 post-fight conference.
Jan Blachowicz won the vacant light heavyweight title at the co-main event of UFC 253 by defeating Jan Blachowicz via a second-round knockout. Blachowicz has won his past four fights in a row with three of those victories coming by knockout in the first or second round. Israel Adesanya, on the other hand, main-evented UFC 253, where he defeated Paulo Costa via TKO.
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Israel Adesanya wants to fight Jon Jones after Jan Blachowicz in 2021
Israel Adesanya who has been feuding with Jon Jones for years on social media told UFC broadcaster Megan Olivi that apart from Jan Blachowicz, he would like to face the “supposed GOAT” Jon Jones in 2021. He added: “It’s going to be the biggest fight in UFC history, I believe, bar any fight that’s been put up.” Though the weight class of the potential fight is yet to be revealed, fans believe the bout could take place at catchweight as Israel Adesanya is planning to move to light heavyweight and Jon Jones is currently preparing for his heavyweight debut.
“I said I’m going to fight the supposed GOAT, 2021, Raiders Stadium. I’m hoping to god after these elections all this corona sh*t vanishes and then we can have crowds again, because that fight needs to be in front of a crowd,” The Last Stylebender reiterated.
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Image Source: Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz Instagram, AP
Updated 13:40 IST, November 2nd 2020
