Daniel Cormier Offers Analysis on Potential Adesanya vs Jones Match
Before Israel Adesanya’s big KO victory over Robert Whittaker, last night at UFC 243, fans and media thought he was insane for wanting to challenge light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. Now, fans, media, and even Dana White seem open to the idea of the bout. Especially after the impressive performance. Former double champion Daniel Cormier offered his expert analysis on the fight if it were to occur.
Cormier had a birds-eye view of Adesanya unifying the middleweight titles in front of a raucous Australian crowd. Watching Izzy compete as well as facing Jones twice gives Cormier’s analysis top credibility. So, after UFC 243, DC spoke on what it would take for Adesanya to bring the fight to Jon.
Izzy stated previously that he would capture the Middleweight crown and clean the entire division out first. Although Izzy has stated that Paulo Costa is next in line, the fantasy booking of Adesanya vs Jones is at an all-time high.
UFC 243 Recap
During the UFC 243 recap, Cormier gave his thoughts on a match with the two men. First, both Brett Okamoto and DC spoke about Israel’s phenomenal performance. Then, they got into Israel’s previous statements of wanting to face Jon Jones in 2021.
“He’s just small for Jones,” said Cormier. “And, I think people underestimate how big he is when he grabs you.”
Cormier is by no means a ‘small guy’ but is usually the smaller man when he competes against light heavy and heavyweights. Understanding what it’s like competing against Jon, Cormier continued with his analysis.
“People underestimate how big he is when he (Jon) grabs you because he’s so big up top. They make fun of how small his legs are, but he’s 225 (pounds).”
“But a lot of the weight is on top, and it’s almost like he hangs on you. It’s like a towel when you’re in the clinch, and I think Izzy may struggle with that because Jones is so big,” finished Cormier.
Adesanya vs Jones
Although Cormier believes Izzy is currently undersized, he made it known that he would love to see the matchup one day down the line. Furthermore, he even believes that the striking ability of Adesanya would give Jones problems.
“I would not mind watching them fight because if Jones has to stand with this guy, he’s in trouble,” Cormier said. “Jones is very hittable. But Izzy needs to get a lot bigger if he’s going to fight this guy.”
Adesanya’s Future
If anyone would be able to offer advice on the matchup, it would be Cormier. As stated previously, DC has faced Jones multiple times and understands his octagon abilities better than any other human on the planet. He also has said in the past that he was open to training with Adesanya.
While size seems to be the main factor that worries Adesanya, the actual matchup would take place further down the line. So, who knows how much mass Israel would gain by the time the match was ready to happen.
While Paulo Costa is next, if Stylebender keeps delivering, he just may get the chance to dethrone another GOAT.
