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“His best skill is running away – avoid the fight. He’s very good at that – very good when he wants to do that.”
Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa are back at it again.
After labelling Costa the ‘perfect antagonist’ and accusing the Brazilian of being ‘juiced up to the f-cking gills’, Adesanya added further insult to injury by calling ‘Borrachinha’ a ‘big, inflated ignoramus’ with a ‘dumb’ fighting style.
“He’s dumb,” Adesanya said (via MMA Junkie). “He’s dumb and he walks forward and he throws shots. That’s what makes it really exciting, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m looking forward to this big, inflated ignoramus, running up on me, trying to throw shots as I keep moving and sticking him.”
Costa, who is set to challenge Adesanya for the middleweight title next month, fired back by accusing ‘The Last Stylebender’ of ‘running away’ in his lackluster title defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 248.
“I really think he has good skills,” Costa said of Adesanya. “His best skill is running away – avoid the fight. He’s very good at that – very good when he wants to do that. I tried to ask him why he just stood when he faced Romero. The only thing more disturbing than his hair was his fight against Romero.”
Insults and pre-fight hype aside Adesanya knows Costa is dangerous but, at the same time, believes he’s one dimensional and unproven against top competition.
“The only people he ever beat that are worthy of anything as two guys that are ranked, that was Uriah Hall and Romero,” Adesanya said. “Who else has he beat that’s ranked? Who else has he beat? I can list you four guys that I have, so you have to understand there’s levels to this.
“Like I said, he’s dumb. But that’s what makes him dangerous, as well, because he’s not scared to walk forward and just throw, and he’s strong. But the same thing happens when they step in the cage with me. When they see me, they feel me. They say, ‘Oh my God – he’s a lot stronger than I thought. Oh my God – he’s a lot bigger than I thought.’”
UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa is scheduled to take place on Sept. 26 at a TBD location.