Israel Adesanya gave his Brazilian opponent, Paulo Costa an embarrassing show down on Saturday night in a dominant defense of his middleweight title, winning by TKO in the second round in the main event of UFC 253.
Adesanya battered Costa’s front leg with kicks to quell the Brazilian fighter’s rantings in the early going, and by the start of Round 2, Costa had bruises up and down his lower half.
Adesanya opened up Costa’s face with a high kick at the start of the second round, and then finished off his challenger with a left counter punch to the dome. Costa stumbled backward and could not recover.
From the first moment, Adesanya chopped down the lead leg of the Brazilian and then finished the show when Costa desperately tried to come inside to work his power hooks.
However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ of Nigeria descent has revealed he wanted to fight Cannonier. Adesanya, who is a New Zealander said: “I know this game, I don’t just play this on EA Sports, I play this for real, so when I do this, I know what I’m talking about.
“I still have to watch it again, little bit sloppy, but I’m a dog and I do what I do.
“I still don’t like him. I don’t know him personally, I don’t wish he dies or anything, he’s alive, I let him be alive.
“This is the game we play, this is violence and I told you guys that it was going to be violent and I said it, it’s going to be violent and it’s going to end fast and that’s what I did. I’m fresh, I can go next weekend, I can go anytime.
“I want to spend time with my family because it’s been a crazy year, so I want to go spend time with my people.
“Cannonier, I want Cannonier next.”
