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“30 Percent Is Not Enough!”- Israel Adesanya Fires Back at UFC Fighters Who Miss Weight Cut

Published 09/27/2020, 3:00 AM EDT

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Israel Adesanya retained his championship status in emphatic fashion as he steamrolled his way through yet another title challenger. ”The Last Stylebender” stopped Paulo Costa on the feet in the second round of their fight. The two have had bad blood brewing between them and Adesanya had the last laugh to claim his second title defense.

Izzy” came in heavy with the leg kicks and his game plan of keeping Paulo Costa at bay was abundantly clear. “The Eraser” couldn’t seem to fight his way into Israel’s striking range and he was at a striking disadvantage. As for Israel Adesanya, he will continue on with his upward momentum and build his legacy as the dominant 185-pound champion.

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Israel Adesanya believes missing weight should invite strict sanctions

Following his statement victory over the heavy-handed Brazilian, Adesanya was incredibly fired up, to say the least. He spoke out to Jon Anik in the octagon following his win and went off on the issue of weight cutting as it stands in the UFC. Chiefly, his point in contention stemmed from the fact that fighters have become nonchalant about making weight.

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“I told Dana, 30% is not enough. Fu*k that. Some of these guys are gangsters they’re making money outside the UFC. 30% ain’t shit to them. So don’t give up that to not make the weight and have 90 minutes to keep on making the weight. And they’re just ‘Ah, fu*k it’. They just drink their waters and whatnot.”

He doubled down on the same and explained that a 30% purse reduction wasn’t merely enough. The middleweight champion believes that the penalty for missing weight should be significantly increased to deter fighters from missing weight.

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“30% is not enough. Make it 90% and that way I guarantee you they will spend every second in that 90 minutes trying to make the weight and not just bi**h out.”

With another statement win under his belt, there is no doubt that the world will be listening to “The Last Stylebender”. The Nigerian born and New Zealand made champion is a bonafide star who’s one of the most influential figures in MMA as it stands. It will be interesting to see if the UFC pays heed to his advise.

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Also Watch: UFC 253: Israel Adesanya Octagon Interview

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.
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