The long-running rivalry between MMA icons Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones is far from over, as evidenced by the reigning UFC middleweight champion's latest jab at ‘Bones'.
In a video uploaded to The Rock YouTube channel, Adesanya notably spoke about the pros and cons of being a UFC megastar. The Nigerian-born New Zealander admitted that he isn’t perfect but is much better than Jones in regards to steering clear of trouble.
“I’m living a crazy life, man. And it is crazy. I’m still learning. I’m still human, and I make mistakes, but I never make the same mistake more than once. I learn from my mistakes. That’s the difference between me and all the people who end up on TMZ. So, yeah.”
Check out Israel Adesanya’s comments regarding Jon Jones at the 24:54-minute mark in the video below:
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One of the show’s hosts suggested that Israel Adesanya was referring to Jon Jones’ run-ins with the law that have been featured on TMZ. ‘The Last Stylebender’ indicated that he was indeed jibing at Jones, but refused to explicitly expound upon the same, choosing to keep his jibe at ‘Bones’ subtle.
Adesanya and Jones have been engaged in a heated feud with one another over the past few years. Adesanya, the UFC middleweight champion, has consistently maintained that he’ll eventually fight longtime UFC light heavyweight champion Jones.
However, Jones vacated his light heavyweight belt in August 2020 and has since been training for his heavyweight debut. Adesanya subsequently tried to capture the light heavyweight title in March 2021 but lost to then-champion Jan Blachowicz via unanimous decision.
Israel Adesanya went from being a fan of Jon Jones to feeling sorry for ‘Bones’
Israel Adesanya is scheduled to defend his 185-pound belt against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 on July 2nd. Meanwhile, Jon Jones is rumored to be making his heavyweight debut this year, likely in an interim UFC heavyweight title matchup against Stipe Miocic.
On the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast earlier this year, Adesanya revealed that he used to be a fan of Jones. He recalled that they became rivals once he learned that 'Bones' wanted to fight him.
Referencing Jones’ multiple arrests over the years, including the former 205-pound kingpin's 2021 arrest over battery domestic violence charges, Adesanya highlighted that he went from being a fan of the American to feeling sorry for him.
“When I see sh** like this, even this one. When I saw this I felt like I'm empathetic. I'm human being, you know. I'm like, 'Man, what a waste of potential.' Also, the fact that he's been popped for steroids how many f***ing times."
Watch Adesanya's appearance on the Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson podcast below: