Tag: title challenger

Paulo Costa Responds To Israel Adesanya’s Steroid Allegations

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and No. 2 ranked middleweight contender Paulo Costa have been going at it nonstop on social media for some time now. ‘The Last Stylebender’ had some comments for the challenger that he shared with Submission Radio yesterday. The champion was asked what his thoughts were on the Paulo Costa he […]

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and No. 2 ranked middleweight contender Paulo Costa have been going at it nonstop on social media for some time now. ‘The Last Stylebender’ had some comments for the challenger that he shared with Submission Radio yesterday.

The champion was asked what his thoughts were on the Paulo Costa he saw in the ESPN interview a few days ao, the first time they were able to speak to each other. Adesanya answered that he wishes that this fight happened before Covid-19, because then he could see him face to face leading up to it.

He also mentioned that he asked Costa a question in the ESPN interview. Denis Shkuratov asked, ‘what kinda stuff were you asking him?’ Adesanya responded, ‘The last time he got tested.’ Kacper Rosolowski then asked, ‘what did he say?’

“He couldn’t give me a straight answer, put it that way. I told him I got tested twice in the last three weeks, twice in the last three weeks I got tested. They tried to catch me off guard. So it was the first two times, or the first time they ever tested me at night.

“And yeah, where’s your (USADA) t-shirt? I’ve been tested over 30 times, or almost 30 times. So where’s your t-shirt? I know what it’s like, and I’m from Lagos City Nigeria, I know what it’s like in certain countries where money talks. Where, if you flash your gun, people act a certain way. I know what it’s like.

“And you’ve heard stories about Brazil with people running up in gyms to test people, and they’re not complying because of certain things, but yea, I just know what it’s like.

“But I don’t mind. I just like bringing that up because I want it to be known, because I said on record, I’m gonna pop him before USADA pops him. I’m gonna beat him, and then when he gets caught by USADA down the line, (I’ll) be like yep, I still whooped his ass even when he was on steroids. That’d make a great story.”

Costa has been playing along with Adesanya’s allegations, claiming he hasn’t even been tested, and it’s pretty entertaining.

It’s never cool to make assumptions about a fighter being on performance enhancing drugs, but this isn’t the first time Adesanya, or others have mentioned this with Costa’s name. He was flagged by USADA after his UFC 212 fight with Oluwale Bamgbose for using an IV to rehydrate. People also use IV’s to help aid in flushing banned substances from their systems.

Again, it’s not fair to make assumptions. But when you cut that much weight (40 lbs) and you’re all solid muscle, have that much power, and that good of endurance, it is hard not to put it into question.

Nonetheless, this is only the second fight in UFC history where a title is on the line and both the champion and challenger are undefeated, and they’ll settle their differences at UFC 253 on September 26.

Do you agree with the champions claim that Costa is a dirty fighter?

Anthony Johnson Talks UFC Return At BKFC 12 Press Conference

Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is finally making his return to the UFC octagon after over three years away, despite how he feels about fighters not knowing when to walk away. The former two-time UFC light-heavyweight title challenger retired after his second defeat to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April of 2017. Since retiring, Johnson began […]

Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is finally making his return to the UFC octagon after over three years away, despite how he feels about fighters not knowing when to walk away. The former two-time UFC light-heavyweight title challenger retired after his second defeat to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April of 2017.

Since retiring, Johnson began bodybuilding, and not long after became an ambassador for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). But now he’s got the itch again, and at 36-years-old, he doesn’t have much time left to make a comeback. More or less, now’s the perfect time.

The one very unfortunate thing about this however, Jon Jones announced he’s vacating his UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship, and that’s one dream fight we never got to see.

‘Rumble’ was supposed to face Jones for the title at UFC 187 in May of 2015, but this was one of the many times Jones got suspended, and he ended up facing Daniel Cormier instead. We’ve seen twice that Cormier’s the better man, but he’s not around anymore either, and Johnson’s the scariest light-heavyweight this sport has seen.

That doesn’t mean he’s the most technical or best fighter out there, but the pure raw power he possesses is truly scary. Of his 22 wins, he has 16 knockouts and six decisions, and ten of those knockout wins were KO’s. Better yet, he went 6-2 in his recent return to the UFC and scored five knockouts with four KO’s then, with the only TKO being over Alexander Gustafsson.

His manager, Ali Abdelaziz announced that he’s back in the USADA testing pool, which means he’ll be eligible to compete soon.

If he can come back at his best, it’s going to be incredibly exciting to see what happens, the 205 lb division is thriving beautifully right now. When asked at the BKFC 12 press conference earlier today why now is the right time to return to the UFC, ‘Rumble’ had the following to say on the matter:

“Honestly, I missed the sport, you know what I mean? I missed the sport, I miss competing. So I knew at one point, I was against guys coming back from retirement. You know, you usually see them get mopped up. You know, BJ Penn came back and got mopped up. I’ve seen everybody that came back out of retirement get mopped up.

“I just don’t wanna be one of those guys that gets mopped up, but I still feel good, I have no injuries. While I was in the UFC, I didn’t really get hit much unless I lost, and that wasn’t often. But, you never know. You know, I got a couple more fights on my contract with the UFC, and then after that you know, I may fight for Dave (Feldman).”

Who would you like to see ‘Rumble’ fight upon returning to the octagon?

Robert Whittaker: ‘I’ve Been Hungry, That Break I Had Was Exactly What I Needed’

Robert WhittakerA five-round battle of former welterweights takes place this weekend at UFC on ESPN 14’s main event, as former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker takes on former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren ‘The Gorilla’ Till, and he’s ready to make a statement. The Australian took a bit of a break after his failed […]

Robert Whittaker

A five-round battle of former welterweights takes place this weekend at UFC on ESPN 14’s main event, as former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker takes on former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren ‘The Gorilla’ Till, and he’s ready to make a statement. The Australian took a bit of a break after his failed title defense against Israel Adesanya at UFC 243, stating that he didn’t go to the gym or anything for some time following the fight. This lit a fire back in him, a ‘craving’ to get back in the gym and compete as he put it.

“It reached a point where it was like, nah, I have to get back to work, this is what I was meant to do. This is what I was put on this planet to do, I’m sure of it. Then I started speaking to the team, telling him (coach) how I feel, the problems that I had that led me here in the first place, and just that dialogue of communication, we worked out the best system and here I am, happy as Larry.”

He went on to say he’s very excited to be fighting in Abu Dhabi, stating that part of his pleasure of fighting for a living is that he gets to travel the world and fight in front of different crowds, experiencing a part of life most people can’t. It’s truly great to see ‘The Reaper’ have his desire to train and compete back, he isn’t burnt out anymore, and that’s absolutely huge. Whittaker is at his best when he’s having fun, as he stated. It’ll be very interesting to see himself and Till go at it.

Both of these men are two of the best strikers in the sport, and both are incredibly dangerous with their strikes. Some fighters are great strikers, but generally out-point their opponents, not these two. They’re both looking to take their opponents heads off the entire time. When asked why Till was the fight he wanted, ‘The Reaper’ responded, “it just looks fun”, stating that they’re both great strikers, and they’re both head hunters.

He was also asked what his biggest weapon he has to use against Till is, and what the biggest threat Till has to offer is: “His biggest threat is his left hand, he knows that as well. The thing is, that’s why I match up so much better against him than he does with me because my biggest threat, there’s too many of them. I have so many dangerous shots, I’m so creative, I have so many angles I can exploit. He’s got his left hand, that’s all he’s got.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)

Surely ‘The Gorilla’ has more tools than that, but ‘The Reaper’ isn’t entirely wrong, that is Till’s best strike. He went on to say it is a very dangerous strike that’s worked on many of Till’s past opponents, and that he needs to be aware of it and respect it.

Till just moved up to middleweight in his last fight against Kelvin Gastelum, who he defeated via split decision at UFC 244. Whittaker was slated to defend his title against Gastelum a little over a year ago, but was forced out with an abdomen injury. No one was giving Till a shot in that fight, but he pulled it off, and now we get to see the No. 1 ranked middleweight contender fight the No. 5 middleweight contender.

This is a great match up we’re all dying to see, who takes it? Robert Whittaker or Darren Till?