Would Adesanya consider moving up again if Jiri is the champion?

[TJH Exitium]

Silva vs Irvin


EDIT:
I should clarify that I'm not comparing fighters here, I'm just making a connection of a more technical MW champ going up in weight to meet a dangerous fighter at LHW. The more skilled counter-striker might make short work of an overaggressive LHW

 

[Shay Brennan]

It depends on the timing, but there aren’t many good LHW’s, if Izzy keeps winning and Jiri is champ and there isn’t a clear #1 contender it would be stupid to pass that up just because Izzy hasn’t technically earned it.

People act like Izzy got destroyed, he barely lost in a weight class 20 lbs. up lol

He got bet everywhere. No shame in that though, Jan is very, very good.
He looked off agianst Glover. I'm sure he'll be back.

 

[ChimRichalds]

I would absolutely love to see that fight. Gotta pick Jiri though, his size, power, and aggression would be a huge problem for Izzy.

Either way it'd be a great fight, Jiri aint gonna try to win a super technical kickboxing match, and Izzy thrives when he gets pressured.

 

[dildos]

Without a doubt. Izzy would beat jiri too!

 

[WingzOfRedemption]

Rather see him fight jiri instead of getting his head pulled off by the 90 year old bloated keebler cookie man

 

[Luvhawky]

It depends on the timing, but there aren’t many good LHW’s, if Izzy keeps winning and Jiri is champ and there isn’t a clear #1 contender it would be stupid to pass that up just because Izzy hasn’t technically earned it.

People act like Izzy got destroyed, he barely lost in a weight class 20 lbs. up lol

There are enough contenders for the next year. If the timing is after that and no new contenders have emerged, I'd agree. But to me, he hasn't earned the right to leap frog a legit contender until he produces a record better the 0-1 at LHW.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

I would think hell no.

Jiri is not an ordinary striker; you can't really train for him. He has deadly one-punch knockout power, throws punches (and elbows!) at weird angles, and Adesanya isn't going to be enjoying a reach advantage.

Skinny Adesanya gets destroyed in an ugly way.

He would literally fall like someone took all the bones out of his body. Straight down, and out.

This. Horrible match up for Izzy. A dangerous unpredictable/unorthodox KO striker that Izzy doesn't have a size/height/reach advantage over. That's not the fight he will take to move up to LHW again. He'll wait for someone less skilled in striking, with no KO power, and no submissions threat.

 

[RockyLockridge]

No, nor should he honestly. Isreal should move up when he's closer to 35 I think at least for the next two years he should stay at the lower weight there are fights to fight there and he makes the weight easily. MW>LHW is a big jump to make, those are tough divisons to go back and forth between.

 

[FlowchartRog]

Err, no. It would have to be someone else perceived as much of a gimme as Jan was.

Tbh I think Izzy's one LHW fight is quite a good indicator of how Jones will do at heavyweight.

Both are extremely rangey for their divisions, Jones with excellent core strength, Izzy with good power.

At the division up I think the opponents are big, strong, and tough enough to nullify a lot of their advantages. I don't expect either to come close to the level of dominance they've showed at MW and LHW.

 

[FlowchartRog]

It depends on the timing, but there aren’t many good LHW’s, if Izzy keeps winning and Jiri is champ and there isn’t a clear #1 contender it would be stupid to pass that up just because Izzy hasn’t technically earned it.

People act like Izzy got destroyed, he barely lost in a weight class 20 lbs. up lol

Barely lost? What?

He got oustruck in every single round, and outwrestled. It wasn't a one sided beating, but it was a decisive victory.

And this against a guy who in his very next fight, kind of showed why many people were dubious of him as a champ, getting beaten easily by Glover.

 

[PPVpoints]

I see izzy clowning jiri.

 

[SmOOthtaLKer]

I disagree.
His loss gave him some real pause on moving up against IMHO.
He is unbeatable at his weight class, very beatable at LHW. Why tarnish his legacy, or get hurt fighting at LHW while he can comfortably rule his division?

He recently said he will move up again at some point, . Also the Jan fight was closer than people want to admit

 

[Dorkman]

Probably one of his better chances. Not in that Jiri is weak, he's super dangerous. He's just one of the few at the top of the division likely to go strike for strike without thought of takedowns. Glover would 100% look to muscle him down, and Jan has shown he's likely too as well. And izzy being the slender smaller guy to all these men makes that a bit of an issue if they get any sort of handle on him. Even a guy like Anthony Smith is a bad match where he's savy on the ground, and has filled out to a full sized LHW despite being a former MW himself.

 

[ElLunico]

If Jiri fights his usual wreckless agressive style he gets KO'ed. LOL at thinking that style works against a sniper like Izzy. Jiri would need to copy what Jan did in the stand up and fight defensively and in bursts.

And then maybe go for a TD late and use his size. If he goes kamikaze he gets KO'd. That style feeds into Izzy and Izzy will make him walk into a big shot. Izzy too advanced of a striker for that shit lol

Stylistically Jiri is actually one of the more winnable fights for Izzy at that weight

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

Barely lost? What?

He got oustruck in every single round, and outwrestled. It wasn't a one sided beating, but it was a decisive victory.

And this against a guy who in his very next fight, kind of showed why many people were dubious of him as a champ, getting beaten easily by Glover.

That was a bad way to phrase it, I’m just saying he basically got edged out other than the last round, it was close enough that I’m still interested in him trying LHW again at some point

The Jan vs Glover fight was a stylistic thing, I don’t think it means Jan wasn’t a really good LHW, I think there are guys Jan would beat that would beat Glover

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Adesanya will move up at some point and it won't matter who it is.

Yeah it appears he doesn't mind taking really tough fights when he doesn't have to (like Jan and Romero)

 

[svmr_db]

I think Adesanya would have a better chance to beat Jiri than people think. Everyone talks about them fighting and just imagines Jiri hitting him with some vicious KO shot early in the fight, which is possible. But Jiri is very hittable & probably doesn't have 5 round cardio. The power advantage would be tough for Adesanya to overcome, but he could definitely outpoint Jiri if he could avoid getting nuked early.

 

[Herwald]

Why wouldn't he? It'd be a stand up battle, so no take down worries. Jiri gets hit and keeps his hands low, and Izzy is also faster than him. I like Jiri, but I'm not on the hype rain. I frankly doubt he gets passed Glover.

 

[r-harper-1]

I’m a Jiri fan …but his defenses kinda sucks …he would leave big openings for Izzy …Jiri could definitely take Izzy out ….I’d watch

 

[UFCIsNOTRigged]

It depends on the timing, but there aren’t many good LHW’s, if Izzy keeps winning and Jiri is champ and there isn’t a clear #1 contender it would be stupid to pass that up just because Izzy hasn’t technically earned it.

People act like Izzy got destroyed, he barely lost in a weight class 20 lbs. up lol

There may not be many good LHWs but there is a growing line of deserving title challengers, ones that were passed over in favor of Jiri, who has only fought twice in two years.

Aleksandar Rakic is next in line should he defeat Blachowicz.

Magomed Ankalaev is a one win away from having an undeniable claim to a title shot.

Jamahal Hill and Paul Craig are also two wins away from a title shot.

Izzy needs to defeat some contenders at LHW if he wants a title shot.