MMA News Roundup: UFC contender trolls "fake gangster" Khamzat Chimaev, Israel Adesanya dismisses Alex Pereira's 'threat level,' NELK Boys member bets big on Nate Diaz
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In the latest issue, we talk about a middleweight contender calling Khamzat Chimaev a "fake gangster," Israel Adesanya downplaying title challenger Alex Pereira's abilities, and more.
#3. Paulo Costa warns "fake gangster" Khamzat Chimaev
UFC contender Paulo Costa labeled welterweight rising star Khamzat Chimaev a "fake gangster" after their altercation at the UFC Performance Institute (PI).
The beef apparently stems from Costa's connection to Chimaev's upcoming opponent, Nate Diaz. A day after the incident, the Brazilian appeared on the Full Send Podcast to detail his encounter with the welterweight boogeyman:
"He's not a gangster... Wait, I have something. He's a gourmet Chechen gangster, fake gangster. And I bring this new glass."
Costa then showed off his wacky glasses before threatening 'Borz' with some fighting words:
"Watch out. Watch your back. I can fight you anywhere, anytime, any place."
Watch the video below:
#2. UFC champ Israel Adesanya dismisses Alex Pereira
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya doesn't appear to be worried about Alex Pereira.
During an interview with Combat TV, 'The Last Stylebender' was asked to rate his upcoming opponent on a scale of one to 10. The reigning king of middleweights replied by saying:
"Threat meter, to be honest, as an MMA fighter... I'll give him a six, if I'm being honest... Completely honest: threat meter six. There's one thing he's really good at. It's that left hook and that's what he catches many people with. He's not going to catch me with a flying knee."
Watch Israel Adesanya's interview in the clip below:
Pereira, of course, is the only man to hold a knockout victory over Adesanya. They fought twice during their pro kickboxing days, but will fight under MMA rules for the first time in the main event of UFC 281.
#1. Kyle Forgeard of NELK Boys bets $50k on Nate Diaz
Kyle Forgeard of the NELK Boys likes Nate Diaz's chances of beating Khamzat Chimaev despite the Stockton native's unfavorable odds.
Diaz will head into Saturday's pay-per-view headliner as a significant betting underdog. Forgeard placed his bet on Stake.com, which has the long-time UFC fighter listed as a +920 underdog. With a Diaz victory, Forgeard's $50,000 bet would earn him $460,000.
The bet was first reported by The MMA Media, who initially claimed it to be Drake's bet. They later rectified the error, stating it was Forgeard's bet instead.
Check out the tweet below:
Drake has bet $50,000 on Nate Diaz to beat Khamzat Chimaev.😳💰
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