Israel Adesanya on upcoming Paulo Costa fight: “It’s a beautifully set up story. You couldn’t write this”

UFC star Israel Adesanya has spoken about the story behind his upcoming UFC 253 main event against contender Paulo Costa.

Adesanya is set to defend his Middleweight Championship against the Brazilian next month, with both men putting their undefeated record on the line in the name of determining who is the very best at 185 pounds.

While the pair have both gone back and forth at each other more times than we can count, Adesanya admits that the story which has been told really has helped to increase the hype behind the bout.

“This is perfect,” Adesanya said at the virtual media day for UFC 253 this week (via MMA Junkie). “What I was expecting from my last fight is going to happen this fight. In my story, you just can’t have it going good and going great in the story. You need a dip in the valley when things go to (expletive).

‘”After the last fight, the performance that Yoel Romero brought, he was lackluster,” Adesanya added. “I’ve never been in a boring fight in my life. I had all this criticism, justly or unjustly. That was a dip, and now this is the rise back. What better antagonist than this guy, who was undefeated, a KO artist, he looks the way he does, ballooned up. It’s like David and Goliath. I (expletive) this guy up, and it’s just spectacular. As they say: Someone’s 0 has got to go. It’s a beautifully set up story. You couldn’t write this (expletive). You could, but it’s real.”

In the past, though, Adesanya has issued a pretty stern warning when it comes to the trash talk that has come from Costa’s side.

“After that last fight, and dealing with what I had to deal with a statue, I’m looking to actually to go in there and have fun this time,” Adesanya told MMA Fighting.

“This is picture perfect,” Adesanya added. “That’s why I love it. The way he looks, this juiced up monkey, evil Drago looking motherf*cker. There’s a skinny boy coming in there to whoop his ass, and when he whoops his ass, the sh*t I’m going to do to him afterwards. Oh my god.

“All the sh*t he said leading up to this fight, he’s going to pay for it. He’s going to hear after the fight. Guarantee you.”

Do you think Israel Adesanya will successfully defend his title against Paulo Costa at UFC 253?