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While they have had their back-and-forth in the past, Israel Adesanya was among those who were absolutely stunned by Jon Jones winning dominantly at UFC 285. The 35-year-old made quick work of Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant UFC heavyweight title.

Jones returned after a three-year layoff to face Gane at UFC 285. The initial expectations were for Jones to face former champion Francis Ngannou for the title. However, Ngannou’s exit from the UFC at the start of the year paved the way for Jones vs. Gane.

At the time it was announced, many hailed Gane as a tough challenge for Jones. One of the most dynamic strikers in the UFC, Gane was running riot through the heavyweight division, beating the likes of Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis. However, the consensus GOAT of the UFC proved himself to everyone, including Adesanya.

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Israel Adesanya reacts to Jon Jones winning at UFC 285

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, viewers saw ‘The Last Stylebender’ react to the fights at UFC 285. The former champion was watching the fights along with his brother David Adesanya, and fellow UFC star Tyson Pedro among others.

The 33-year-old was thoroughly enjoying the fights, cheering the fighters on as they appeared on the screen. He was watching closely as Jones and Gane engaged each other in the octagon, commentating on the action as it unfolded.

When the referee halted proceedings as Gane tapped, a shocked Adesanya said, “Ohhh…. What the f*ck?…. What did he do?… That was so subtle… That’s impressive.”

Adesanya also looked puzzled for a while, as he thought the guillotine from Jones was not completely in when Gane suddenly tapped. The former middleweight champion also applauded Jones for the win despite their rivalry.

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While it may seem like a fight between Jones and Adesanya is highly unlikely, their rivalry is very much alive. The newly crowned heavyweight champion took a shot at Adesanya with a recent prediction for his fight at UFC 287.

Jones’ prediction for Adesanya’s UFC 287 fight

At UFC 287, Israel Adesanya will look to even the score against Alex Pereira and reclaim his UFC middleweight title. However, it might be an uphill battle for ‘Stylebender’ as he is facing an opponent who has bested him three times in their respective careers.

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via Imago

In a recent interview, Jon Jones gave his thoughts on how he expects the fight to go. The champion said, “I believe [Alex]Pereira is gonna win again. There’s some athlete that just have other athlete’s number. And I see he works hard and I’m rooting for him. I believe he’s gonna do it again.”

Jones showed no love for Adesanya and is rooting for ‘Poatan’ all the way.

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Watch This StoryPros react to Jon Jones’ flawless performance at UFC 285

Will Jones’ prediction come true? Or will ‘Stylebender’ prove him wrong and get one over Pereira? Fans will have to wait until UFC 287 to find out.