Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall tops Israel Adesanya’s list of 10 must-see fights in combat sports
Israel Adesanya is set to make a highly anticipated return to the octagon against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305. Ahead of his middleweight title fight, the former two-time champion shared a list of combat sports matchups that he wanted to see most, with his impending clash with du Plessis coming in at No.2 on the list.
'The Last Stylebender' named Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall as the bout he is most eager to see take place, which must have been music to fans' ears, who have called for the heavyweight bout since 2023.
Jones is widely regarded as the best MMA fighter of all time and currently holds the UFC heavyweight title. But with 'Bones' looking to fight Stipe Miocic next instead of the interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall, fans have accused Jones of ducking the Mancunian.
During a recent collaboration with nutrition brand MyProtein, Adesanya shared the ten fights he most wanted to see take place in combat sports.
"Number 1 I would pick out of all these fights, Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. As a fan of fighting, as a fan of combat sports, this fight would [head explodes]. Number 2 on the list, I'll say myself versus Dricus du Plessis, I'd love to see that fight... Number 3, honestly, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler. It's long overdue..."
Watch Israel Adesanya share his full list below:
Dan Hooker shares thrilling preview for Israel Adesanya's return against Dricus du Plessis
Israel Adesanya suffered an upset defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, which saw him lose the middleweight title.
Following the bout, Adesanya stated that he would be taking a hiatus from fighting to deal with several nagging injuries. Having fought five times in an 18-month span, the two-time middleweight champion also thoroughly deserved some time off.
Dricus du Plessis then defeated Strickland to win the belt at UFC 297, setting the stage for a bad-blood matchup with 'The Last Stylebender'. The pair will headline UFC 305 in August, and Adesanya's teammate Dan Hooker shared an exciting preview of his return.
"I can't even be bothered sparring [Adesanya] at the moment. I think he's like 105 kilos [230 pounds]. He just kicked me in the leg and I was like, 'Get f**ked.' He's had some time off. He was carrying some injuries, he's still a lot of time just packing on some size and a lot of strength. He's hitting like a truck."
Watch Dan Hooker discuss Israel Adesanya's return below (17:55):