Israel Adesanya defended his belt for the second time at UFC 253. He faced an undefeated fighter in Paulo Costa who was believed to be his toughest challenge. ‘Borrachinha’ had secured 12 of his 13 wins via TKO/KO, with only Yoel Romero going the distance against him.
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On fight night, Israel Adesanya put on a clinical display in striking and in managing range. He kept Costa at a distance by using some devastating leg kicks, thereby compromising the Brazilian star’s movement.
The fight ended when Adesanya landed a perfectly timed left hand that dropped Costa. He followed that up with a barrage of punches before Jason Herzog stepped in to separate the two fighters.
Israel Adesanya imparts a few pearls of wisdom
Following his impressive win over Costa at Abu Dhabi, ‘Izzy’ was required to observe a 14 day quarantine period in Las Vegas before he could head home to Auckland. Adesanya tweeted on the matter saying, “#lockdownwiththeskinnyclown is over.
A few lessons to be learnt here.
1) Never let your mouth write cheques your a** can’t cash
2) I’m the wrong one to f**k with, cuz I’ll drag you by your weave
3) To get respect you must show respect
Thanx for watching”
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) October 16, 2020
‘The Last Stylebender’ has used the quarantine period to hit back at the likes of Paulo Costa and Jon Jones. The tweet aimed at Paulo Costa also contained a screenshot of a conversation between the duo. Adesanya claimed the Brazilian fighter may get another shot, provided he kept working.
Read: WATCH: Paulo Costa Posts a Video Questioning Chael Sonnen and Israel Adesanya’s Relationship
Leading up to the fight, ‘Borrachinha’ indulged in a lot of trash talk and made fun of Adesanya countless times. On the flip side, the champion preferred to let his fighting talk inside the octagon. After the referee stepped in to separate the two fighters, Israel performed a few vulgar actions that did not sit well with Paulo Costa and his camp.
‘The Last Stylebender’ will watch next weekend’s fight between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier closely, as he has stated he would like to fight the winner of that fight. Who do you think will win that blockbuster UFC 254 co-main event? Could the UFC book the loser against Paulo Costa?