UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya says he is not looking forward to gaining some extra weight for his upcoming light heavyweight title super fight with Jan Blachowicz.
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be putting his 185-pound duties on hold to jump up in weight and challenge light heavyweight kingpin Jan Blachowicz, a championship showdown that is expected to take place in March of 2021.
Just don’t expect “The Last Stylebender” to pack on the pounds like former 205-pound titleholder Jon Jones. “Bones” is known for posting weightlifting videos to tease his eventual move to the heavyweight division, even if it has the opposite effect.
“All I know is f**king 2021, light heavyweight is mine,” Adesanya told MMA Fighting. “I’ll take the belt just to double champ it like some of the other fighters have. [Conor] McGregor, D.C. (Daniel Cormier), I like the look of two gold belts on my shoulder. I already did it with my interim belt and my unified undisputed belt when I was the double interim champ.
“But just to flex with that 205 belts as well, and I don’t even have to do much to do it. I just stay in the same frame that I am. I don’t have to pack muscle like these guys are doing like Jon [Jones] is doing. They’re making grave mistakes. It will come back to bite them in the ass when it’s time.”
After dominantly dispatching Paulo Costa at UFC 253, “The Last Stylebender” had hinted at a potential light heavyweight move after a new light heavyweight champion was crowned at the event with Jan Blachowicz’s second-round finish of Dominick Reyes.
If Adesanya wins the UFC light heavyweight title, do not expect that to put an end to his time in the middleweight division. From the sounds of it, he intends to defend both titles.
“No, middleweight’s mine,” Adesanya said. “Middleweight is my perfect weight class. So when I do 205, I’ll just hold up that division once in a while that’s all. I’ll defend my belt when it’s time.
“That’s all down the line,” Adesanya said. “I deal with things as they come. I plan for the future, but at the same time, there are so many variables in this game. You deal with things as they come.”
Adesanya knows the process of bulking up and further consequences.
“That’s Jon ‘Blow’ Jones downfall,” Adesanya told Submission Radio. “Like, ‘I need to move up in weight, pack on the size’. Some people are just stupid, they play the game so stupid. I’ve done it at kickboxing, I weighed in at heavyweight with my clothes on and a tray of Dunkin Donuts in my hand, and I was like 90-something kilograms. Like, skills, bro.”
“Yeah, sure, you want to put on size? Alright. Is your body used to being that heavy? Are you used to moving around that heavy with the work-rate you were doing with all your previous fights? Yeah, I just don’t play the game like everyone else,” Adesanya continued. “I’ll just chill, I’ll stay me. I’m gonna get stronger, I always do, but I’m not gonna purposely put on muscle just so I can be at a weight class. Stupid.”
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Adesanya set to move to light heavyweight to face champion Jan Blachowicz for the UFC belt
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