Schaub: Israel Adesanya will light up Costa ‘like a Brazilian Christmas tree’

Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“‘Stylebender’ is gonna light him up like a Brazilian Christmas tree and you’re gonna see the skillset of ‘Stylebender’ in that fight.” Newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has all …

UFC 243 Whittaker v Adesanya

Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“‘Stylebender’ is gonna light him up like a Brazilian Christmas tree and you’re gonna see the skillset of ‘Stylebender’ in that fight.”

Newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has all the makings of a superstar, and former UFC heavyweight turned podcast host and comedian Brendan Schaub believes ‘The Last Stylebender’ will rule the throne for a long time to come.

Adesanya, who KO’d Robert Whittaker to unify middleweight titles at UFC 243, is expected to defend his title against streaking middleweight contender Paulo Costa in the new year, and many believe ‘Borrachinha’ will be the New Zealander’s toughest test to date.

Below The Belt host Schaub, however, believes Adesanya will dismantle Costa with surgical precision and light up the Brazilian like a Christmas tree.

“I know Paulo Costa is next,” Schaub said, per BJPenn.com. “Man, looking at the division I think ‘Stylebender’s’ gonna be champ for a long time. And this is why the UFC is gonna grab onto the back of his shoulders and ride him to the f*cking moon. Cause they need the big star. You’re gonna see him on all this marketing and media and the face of the UFC.”

“The division, I’m like I don’t know who’s gonna f*ck with that guy,” Brendan Schaub continued. “Who’s gonna f*ck with him? Go through it, Paulo Costa? It’s an interesting matchup. He’s dangerous as f*ck, knockout power, he’s bigger, he’s rangy. But when you talk about X’s and O’s and execution and fundamentals, ‘Stylebender’s’ gonna piece him up. Here’s what else is interesting about the Paulo Costa fight. Costa has a phenomenal chin. ‘Stylebender’ is gonna light him up like a Brazilian Christmas tree and you’re gonna see the skillset of ‘Stylebender’ in that fight.”

Adesanya vs. Costa hasn’t been officially announced, but expect the UFC to book the match-up in the coming weeks.