What Is the Relationship Between Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya? Will Jon Jones vs Israel Adesanya Happen or Are the UFC Stars Friends?

Relationship between Israel Adesanya  and Jon Jones

It’s not news to anyone who follows the UFC that Heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya do not get along well together. Both fighters are great athletes and the best in their respective divisions. Jones, who has an undefeated streak in the UFC, made his return and defeated Ciryl Gane in the first match to reclaim his throne. Israel Adesanya, on the other hand, tried moving up to Light Heavyweight but all his efforts were thwarted by Jan Blachowicz, who sent him packing – all the way back to the Middleweight division.

Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya started beefing way before Jones made his return to the Octagon. Adesanya’s impressive fight skills had forced the fans to draw comparisons with the G.O.A.T contender. The two have had heated exchanges over social media with both fighters refusing to back down an inch. Everyone was wondering when the two would battle it out in the ring. However, recent happenings have left fans confused as Jones and Adesanya have decided to squash their beef. 

Does Jon Jones like Israel Adesanya?

Contrary to popular belief and as disappointing as it may be for fans who were rooting for a Jones vs. Adesanya face-off, Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya have decided to settle their beef. The two had been at loggerheads for a very long time. The Stylebender had poked fun at Jon Jones’ legal troubles and cases. Not just that, Adesanya also proceeded to talk about Jones’ failed Nike endorsement. It turned ugly real quick as Jones refused to back down. Adesanya also said things about Jon Jones’ mother and Jones’ rebuttal would keep the feud going. The two kept calling each other out. In one instance, Israel Adesanya had said that he would fight Jon Jones at any weight and Jones held him to it, criticizing him publicly for not following through. 

One look at their history and no one would think that there is a great deal of mutual admiration between the two with both being favourite fighters of each other. Israel Adesanya recently uploaded a picture with Jon Jones and Tweeted it saying “Hugs xo”.

Fans, who were expecting a once-in-a-lifetime match between the two, were left confused but happy to see the two fighters get along, nevertheless. 

Is Israel Adesanya Jon Jones’s favorite fighter?

There has been an interesting development in the Jones-Adesanya scenario. In an interview with The Sporting News, UFC Heavyweight champion Jon Jones revealed that his current favorite fighter in the UFC happens to be the Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

Apparently, Jones admitted to this because he was quite confident that the two would never actually end up fighting each other. 

“In the UFC, my favorite fighter right now, I hate to admit it, I hate to admit it, but I would say Israel Adesanya.” revealed Jones, to everyone’s surprise. “Israel Adesanya, him and I are not friends but he’s probably the most entertaining guy in the organization right now.”, the HW champ added.

Given the rivalry the two shared, it must have been difficult for a fighter like Jones to admit this. However, Adesanya was not far behind in squashing the beef from his side.

In an interview with Logan Paul on his podcast IMPAULSIVE on YouTube, the Middleweight Champion was in for the shock of his life. Jones’ quote admitting to considering Adesanya as his favorite fighter in the UFC was shown to the Stylebender who initially dismissed it, thinking it wasn’t genuine.

However, when he later came to terms with it, Adesanya said, “That’s a lie. He’s not gonna put that out publicly, hell no“, Adesanya said. “Really (it’s true)? Are you serious? No way… I thought you were lying… I don’t even like to talk about this sh*t, but for me, I’m all about growth. Growth is something you have to go through as a human being.” said Adesanya, still recovering from the shock. He then went on to say that he had a feeling that Jones was a fan of his work and concluded with a cool, “I’ve been a fan of Jon since I saw him at (UFC 94)… We had beef, and for a few years, it was like that… But real recognizes real, I’ll put it that way.”

Israel Adesanya & Jon Jones’ Unexpected Videos Has UFC World Stunned

Adesanya and Jones have been making the headlines now – not as rivals, not as two UFC entities beefing on social media, but as friends and sparring partners. To many, this may seem unbelievable but the fact of the matter is that both Adesanya and Jones gave decided to shake hands and end their long-standing beef. Both fighters expressed that the other one happened to be their favorite UFC fighter. 

The first video that went viral was a video made by Israel Adesanya and shared on Twitter where the Stylebender was seen sitting next to the Heavyweight champion Jon Jones and they both seemed quite jovial and playful with each other. This video was the first post that Adesanya uploaded on the Threads community, recently launched by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The two ran into each other on the Las Vegas Casino Floor where they shared moments together. To the fans’ delight, they got a glimpse of Jones vs. Adesanya, but the temperament of the showdown was not as heated as people were expecting it to be. The two were seen sparring and having a good time.

The original video was uploaded on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel where Adesanya and Jones were seen spending a considerable amount of time together in Vegas, eating meals together, sparring, and just having a good time.

Although the UFC fans missed out on a good fight, it is heartwarming to see two of the greatest UFC fighters of all time putting their differences aside and acknowledging each other’s greatness. 

Dive Deeper – “Will Destroy Izzy Any Day of the Week”: After Claims of Squashing Jon Jones Beef, Israel Adesanya Ruthlessly Mocked by Fans Over Rivalry With Heavyweight Champ

Why did the two fighters decide that it was water under the bridge? Will they ever fight? Let us know what you think of the Jones-Adesanya duo in the comments below.

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