UFC president Dana White plans on booking Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa before potentially entertaining the Jon Jones fight.
Adesanya captured the undisputed UFC middleweight championship earlier this month. He did so by stopping Robert Whittaker in the second round via TKO. Before the bout took place, White told Sky Sport New Zealand that Adesanya vs. Jones would be quite the match-up (via MMAJunkie.com).
“Those guys have been talking smack back and forth,” White said. “If Israel wins and he really does want to fight Jon Jones, that’s a really big fight.”
White Pumps The Brakes On Adesanya vs. Jones For Now
While White still believes Adesanya vs. Jones would be a big fight, he told TMZ Sports that he wants Costa to get his middleweight title opportunity before considering the bout (via BJPenn.com).
“Listen, the Jones fight is a fun fight, but the next fight is Paulo Costa. That’s the fight to make next,” White said. “But if a Jon Jones fight is possible down the line, I like it. I’m not going to lie.”
Other than the fact that both men are UFC champions with elite skillsets, many have clamored for Adesanya vs. Jones as both men do not like each other. The two have been having issues ever since Adesanya said he was hunting another GOAT in Jones after nabbing a win over Anderson Silva.
