Israel Adesanya reach: Is the UFC middleweight champion a bigger man than Jon Jones?
The bad blood between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones is likely to pave the way for a superfight between the two UFC stars. Israel Adesanya has already said that he would face the former Light Heavyweight Champion next year in around June, as per his "plan".
Also Read: Who are the Current UFC Champions?
Jon Jones, on the other hand, is preparing for a move up to Heavyweight and training to gain muscle mass for that - an endeavor that Israel Adesanya called 'stupid'.
In the hope that the Superfight will happen, the MMA Community is divided in its opinion of who would be the winner and how much will size matter in the contest.
Israel Adesanya vs. Jon Jones - who has a bigger reach
Both Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones stand at 6 ft. 4 inches height. But 'Bones' has a 4-inche reach advantage on 'The Last Stylebender'.
Jon Jones has a reach of 84.50 inches, while Israel Adesanya has a reach of 80 inches. In fact, along with the tallest UFC fighter Stefan Struve, Jon Jones has the second-longest reach in UFC.
The fighter with the longest reach in the company's history was Dan 'The Sandman' Christison, who had two bouts in UFC back in 2006.
Despite the same height, the difference in reach is likely to play a factor in the striking and counterstriking of the contest.
For those who don't know, a longer reach allows the fighters to strike while maintaining a safe distance from the opponent and steer clear of takedown attempts for the most part. It also helps the fighter with more leverage during jiu-jitsu and grappling.
However, knowing how to effectively utilize reach is a different kettle of fish. Jon Jones, however, is a master of it.
Will the bigger reach help Jon Jones?
Some believe that Jon Jones' size and reach will inevitably become a huge factor, especially if the fight happens at Light Heavyweight where Jones was the Champion for nearly a decade on and off.
The LHW Champ Jan Blachowicz agrees with that, from what he told SCMP MMA earlier.
"I think Jones[wins that fight]. He is bigger, you know. Adesanya is not 205. He’s going to feel the 205 power when he moves to 205. So, I think Jones beats him. I would put my money on Jones."
However, Israel Adesanya himself believes differently. He is a man who puts his faith on skills and not muscle mass, size, or reach. He has offered to fight Jones at Heavyweight even, if he does not want to come down to 205 pounds.
The Middleweight King and the former Light Heavyweight Champion have been at this rivalry for months now. Fans are eagerly waiting to see when they will take it out of their Twitter handles and into the Octagon.