JON JONES and Israel Adesanya look set for a blockbuster grudge match as their feud continues to escalate.
The pair will not let up as they trade bitter and personal insults with each other online.
Middleweight champion Adesanya, 31, believes it will be ‘the biggest fight in UFC history’.
And UFC president Dana White admitted Jones, 33, fighting the unbeaten New Zealander is ‘the fight to make, 100 percent’.
With the super-fight on the tip of everybody’s tongues, SunSport reveals the predictions of experts inside the sport.
Former two-division champion Cormier twice fought Jones and they shared one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC history.
So it is no doubt DC has tipped Adesanya to dethrone his great rival.
Chatting to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, he said: “It’s the time. Right now is the time.”
Helwani responded: “You can’t risk having Jon Jones lose his streak to some jabroni. You can’t. You lose it to Izzy, potentially, and now the torch has been passed.”
Cormier then said: “Wait, so you’re picking Izzy?
“You just said… so you’re picking Izzy too? You’re picking Izzy too? Because I’m picking Izzy! You’re picking Izzy too, I’m picking Izzy.”
Prediction: Adesanya
Welterweight fan-favourite Masvidal has long hailed Adesanya, who reigns in the division above him.
But it does not prevent him from giving Jones the nod due to his grappling and experience advantage.
Masvidal explained: “Jones can wrestle pretty damn good.
“Izzy only has two years in the sport. His grappling, I don’t know if it’s there yet.
“So right now, I would lean towards Jones, being able to take him down and control him.”
Prediction: Jones
Former two-time UFC title challenger Sonnen – who lost to Jones in 2013 – clearly has no love lost for his former opponent.
He even predicted Adesanya would win every single round should it go to the scorecards.
Sonnen tweeted: “Izzy woujd whip JJ. If there were 5 rds, IZZY wins all 5.”
Prediction: Adesanya
Since Hardy’s retirement in 2012, he has carved out a successful career as a UFC commentator and analyst.
He did not pick a winner, but gave Adesanya a chance of beating Jones, who he feels is no longer showing signs of invincibility.
Hardy told Submission Radio: “I absolutely give Adesanya a chance in that.
“If we see the Jon Jones that we’ve seen for the last couple of fights, that, you know, he doesn’t seem as confident as he used to be, doesn’t seem as confident in throwing his hands like he used to.
“Like, you think back to Rashad Evans fight or his Teixeira fight where he’s like, he’s just stepping into the breach with elbows and just smashing people up.
“That takes a confidence to do that. And I think that Gustafsson scared the scrap out of him a little bit in those first couple of rounds and it changed his game a bit.”
Prediction: Sitting on the fence
Former middleweight champion Bisping has been keeping an eye on the man who now rules his former division.
But he feels Jones has the tools to emerge victorious.
Bisping said on his podcast: “Israel, certainly after what he did against Paulo Costa has the speed advantage, he looks like f***ing lightning.
“The only thing is I do believe they have weight classes for a reason, well they do have weight classes for a reason.
“(Jones) is just a big guy, he’s a strong guy and he’s just got a more well rounded skillset as Israel has excellent takedown defence, but Jones also has good takedown offence as well as defence.
“It’s not disrespectful to Israel to say this, but you’ve got to go with Jones – but honestly I wouldn’t be that surprised now, if Izzy was to pull it off.
“I wouldn’t be surprised because Izzy could f***ing surprise anybody.”
Prediction: Jones… just
The boss has never been open about picking one of his stars to beat another.
And despite his ever-impartial view, he knows the bitter feud will only lead to dollar bills.
White said: “That’s the fight to make, 100 percent.
“I think that a fight between those two is massive.”
Prediction: A lot of money to be made
