'The second Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight, he moved up to 205' - Tyron Woodley criticizes Israel Adesanya
Tyron Woodley has accused UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya of ducking Jon Jones. The former UFC welterweight champion claimed that the moment Jones moved up to the heavyweight division, Adesanya decided to leave middleweight and jump up to the light heavyweight division.
Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones have been going back-and-forth with one another for months now. While there have been talks of a dream fight between the two men, Jones and Adesanya are once again part of different weight classes following their respective moves to heavyweight and light heavyweight.
During a recent interview with Helen Yee, Tyron Woodley claimed that Israel Adesanya had some unfinished business in the middleweight division but was quick to move up to 205 in the absence of Jon Jones.
“I thought he had some business to do in the middleweight division, and he was going to wait. And the second Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight, he moved up to 205lbs."
Tyron Woodley further said he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Adesanya had moved up to light heavyweight to fight Jan Blachowicz and wouldn't share the octagon with Jones. The former champion even mentioned that the payday is way different and it doesn't make sense to him.
“I can’t even think past the fact he completely said he was not going up to 205 and face Jon Jones. If you’re the best, if somebody asked me to go and fight (Michael) Bisping, I’m doing it. If you want to say you’re the best, now you’re going up to fight Jan and you wouldn’t do it to fight Jon? That makes no sense. The payday’s way different and when someone talks and says they’re this and that, and then they get the opportunity to go against the greatest of all time and want to wait two years, it doesn’t make sense.”
Israel Adesanya will fight to become double champion but Tyron Woodley has completely different plans
Israel Adesanya will challenge for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 259 when he faces Ja Blachowicz. The reigning UFC middleweight title has the opportunity to enter his name in the history books as 'champ-champ'.
Meanwhile, Tyron Woodley will be fighting Vicente Luque in the welterweight division, in a fight between two top dogs in the 170-lbs division.