UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya insists he’s still “coming for that ass” of Jon Jones – as in, he still wants to fight the former light heavyweight champ.

Jones, for his part, seems to get a kick out of that.

Adesanya fell short in his attempt to become a UFC dual champ when he lost a unanimous decision to light heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. Even though Adesanya’s focus is back on ruling the 185-pound division, he made it clear this week that, for him, a potential superfight with Jones isn’t dead just because of one setback.

“Hell no,” Adesanya told ESPN. “This is just a valley in my story. In any movie, in any anime series, you always have the valleys and you rise up from that. This is just mine and it’s like, all right, cool, bet. I’m taking this very well, and I know exactly what I have to do to get back to my true self, so yeah, I’m doing just that. But nah, that fight’s not dead. I’m coming for that ass. … This is deeper than fighting now.”

On Thursday, Jones responded with a string of tweets mocking Adesanya’s words.

“It’s deeper than fighting now” pic.twitter.com/6Im7Emr00r

— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 18, 2021

Ariel Helwani asked him one question about me, Izzy went on to give a seven minute response I love it when opponents realize they can’t hold my jockstrap and default to the “Jon Jones is fake” defense. https://t.co/4p874XRqPC

— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 18, 2021

Ariel Helwani asked him one question about me, Izzy went on to give a seven minute response I love it when opponents realize they can’t hold my jockstrap and default to the “Jon Jones is fake” defense.

The fact that he is actually trying to keep this beef going is hilarious

— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 18, 2021

The fact that he is actually trying to keep this beef going is hilarious

This dude backed himself into a corner with his mouth and is actually trying to keep the wolf tickets selling. Only a real anime fan could actually see Izzy somehow defeating me at 245 pounds. https://t.co/SqELPCkxIK

— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 18, 2021

This dude backed himself into a corner with his mouth and is actually trying to keep the wolf tickets selling. Only a real anime fan could actually see Izzy somehow defeating me at 245 pounds.

Dudes claiming to be the best MMA fighter ever, with 1/3 of an MMA game arrogance at its finest, I swear it will make you blind.

— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 18, 2021

Dudes claiming to be the best MMA fighter ever, with 1/3 of an MMA game Woozy faceFace with tears of joy arrogance at its finest, I swear it will make you blind.

Jones’ latest words fall in line with his message immediately following UFC 259, when he declared Adesanya no longer “worth my time.”

Prior to UFC 259, Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) and Adesanya (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) seemed to be on a collision course toward a superfight as they had been feuding for more than a year.

It seems one of them has moved on, though.