UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill
Paulo Costa predicts fight against Israel Adesanya to be entertaining
Paulo Costa sure has a way with words. The undefeated 29-year-old Brazilian has finished 12 of his 13 career opponents en route to what he expects to be his crowning achievement: his UFC 253 main event title fight against another undefeated competitor in UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
In a virtual media day Thursday promoting the bout, Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) made it clear in rather colorful terms that he plans on adding Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) to his list of finished foes.
“If he’s (expletive) his pants for before the fight, bad for him,” Costa said. “Too bad for him. I’m confident. I’m confident in myself, I’m confident in my training, I know what I did on sparring days. I know everything I am working for. I worked for cut his head off. I don’t care if his mind is broken or not. I don’t care. I go there. I will erase him.”
Costa was asked if he’s in Adesanya’s head going into the Sept. 26 bout in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, but he insists it’s not something he pays any mind.
“I don’t try and break him mentally before (the fight),” Costa said, “If he’s broken, it is because he is weak, mentally. I don’t care about him.”
Paulo hopes to put a bit of a hurting on UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya when they step into the cage together at UFC 253.
Costa promises an entertaining fight
Once he’s done that—and sufficiently entertained the fans—he intends to put a stamp on things with yet another stoppage win.
“I don’t want to just beat him very quickly,” Costa told SCMP MMA recently. “I want to bring some entertainment to the people. I hope we can go into the second round and then I think he will break then.”
Paulo is not surprised by his current surge in popularity. The fighter and the people he surrounds himself with always felt it was inevitable.
“Me, my family, my whole team, the people who are around me, everybody knows my skills and that I would be a champion,” Costa said. “We have known at the right moment, and the right time, I would be popular, my chance would come. So we are comfortable with my position.”