[VIDEO]: Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa get into a heated argument ahead of UFC 253
Israel Adesanya and his next opponent Paulo Costa don't like each other and that's no secret. Israel Adesanya first called out Paulo Costa immediately after defeating Robert Whittaker to become the undisputed Middleweight Champion last October at UFC 243.
An injury kept Paulo Costa out for a while, leaving Israel Adesanya without an opponent. He got past Yoel Romero - his handpicked opponent, in an underwhelming fight that was highly criticized.
UFC President Dana White is confident that Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa could be the fight of the year and it's hard to disagree. While Israel Adesanya was being interviewed by ESPN, Paulo Costa made an unexpected appearance and it led to a tense back-and-forth between the two:
As you can see, the main criticism of Paulo Costa is with regard to Israel Adesanya's performance against Yoel Romero at UFC 248. While Israel Adesanya was criticized, the main target was Yoel Romero, who many felt didn't do nearly enough in a title fight.
Israel Adesanya hit back at Paulo Costa, stating that he'll bring the fight whenever someone brings the fight to him.
Who could be next for the Israel Adesanya-Paulo Costa winner?
Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa is going to be an interesting fight to watch. One PPV later at UFC 254, Robert Whittaker will take on Jared Cannonier in what one can only assume to be a #1 contender's fight. Israel Adesanya will be expected by many to outwit Paulo Costa to a win.
The main criticism that Paulo Costa has received despite his undefeated record is his cardio and lack of five-round experience - a territory that Israel Adesanya is all too familiar with.
Stylistically, it's going to be one of the most fascinating fights of the year. Who will walk out as the undisputed Middleweight king?