UFC: Paulo Costa slams ‘dirty Kiwi’ and ‘disgusting’ Israel Adesanya after Yoel Romero 9/11 comments
- Middleweight champion Adesanya says upcoming opponent Romero will ‘crumble like the Twin Towers’ at press conference
- Contender Costa takes issue with comment ‘disrespecting the thousands who died’ and vows to ‘really kill’ Adesanya
UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa says he “will really kill” divisional champion Israel Adesanya for controversial comments made on an upcoming opponent referencing the September 11 attacks in the US in 2001.
Nigerian-New Zealander Adesanya (18-0), who defends his belt against Yoel Romero at UFC 248 in March, took numerous swipes at the Cuban veteran at a press conference in Auckland last week.
“He’s human like anyone else. And everyone likes to make this myth about how it’s like kicking steel, you hit him he doesn’t fall,” said Adesanya to a live-stream video of Romero.
“I’ll touch him enough times and eventually he’ll crumble like the Twin Towers. Too soon?”
Costa (13-0), an undefeated Brazilian who beat Romero via unanimous decision last August, wrote a scathing message on Twitter:
“Adesanya. You are a disgusting piece of [expletive]. How dare you make a joke disrespecting the thousands who died and heroic firefighters and police. I will really kill you, dirty kiwi.”