Jon Jones scoffs at grudge fight with UFC foe Israel Adesanya: ‘Our careers are really incomparable’
UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones has made his intentions to retire from the sport of mixed martial arts following his end-of-year title defense against Stipe Miocic – turning down talk of a potential grudge match with middleweight kingpin, Israel Adesanya.
Jones, the recently minted undisputed heavyweight champion under the UFC banner, managed to clinch his second Octagon title back in March with a truly dominant first round submission win over Ciryl Gane – stopping the Frenchman with a opening frame guillotine choke.
However, during his time atop the light heavyweight throne, Jones appeared to be on a definite collision course with Adesanya – who held middleweight gold at the same time as the former’s second reign at 205lbs.
Jon Jones uninterested in grudge match against Israel Adesanya in the future
Failing to share the Octagon in what appeared to be the next big grudge match under the promotion’s banner, Jones, who confirmed his intentions to call time on his decorated career following an expected title defense against Miocic later this year, scoffed at similarities between his and Adesanya’s career.
“I feel like my legacy – my career has passed his (Israel Adesanya),” Jon Jones told Fox Sports Australia. “If this was an ‘Instagram following competition’, then yeah, we’d be neck and neck. But when it comes to our body of work, there’s no competition, and there is no reason for me to compare myself to him.”
“He’s done great things and people say, ‘There’s lots of room in the sky for many stars,’ And he is undoubtedly a star,” Jon Jones continued. “But, I feel like our careers are really incomparable. So, [that’s] not a fight that I need, no.”
Winning his second Octagon title back in April in the main event of UFC 287, Adesanya managed to reclaim his middleweight championship with a second round knockout win over Brazilian striker, Alex Pereira in Miami, Florida.
