UFC 253: Paulo Costa says he’ll work on Israel Adesanya’s mind, then he’ll break his body
- Unbeaten Brazilian amps up war of words in lead-up to middleweight title showdown
- ‘I don’t want to just beat him very quickly. I want to bring some entertainment,’ says Costa
Paulo Costa wants to mess with Israel Adesanya’s mind in the lead-up to their much-anticipated middleweight title fight at UFC 253, now confirmed for UFC Fight Island.
Then, once the cage door shuts, the Brazilian (13-0) says he’ll go to work on the Kiwi’s body on September 26 in Abu Dhabi, with a prediction that two rounds will be what’s needed to strip Adesanya (19-0) of his title.
“I don’t want to just beat him very quickly,” Costa told SCMP MMA. “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.”
It’s a fight that promises plenty, a potential bout of the year candidate that will pit a battering ram (Costa) against a master of movement (Adesanya). That there has been months of bickering – online and when their paths have crossed – has added spice to the build up and “The Eraser”, for one, is promising more of same.
“I like that,” said the 29-year-old Costa. “It’s part of the war, to work out how to break him mentally, before the fight and during the fight.”
