Israel Adesanya has shrugged off insults from UFC 293 opponent Sean Strickland, comparing them to previous taunts from Paulo Costa, whom he then defeated with a two-round knockout, and stated that he is prepared for whatever fighting style Strickland chooses.
The UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, is no stranger to opponents taunting him in the lead up to fights. Sean Strickland, his opponent at UFC 293, has been insulting Adesanya in various ways, from belittling past fights to criticizing his choice of wearing nail polish. However, Adesanya is accustomed to such behavior, having dealt with comparable antics before, notably from Paulo Costa in 2020.
Costa, who had a perfect 5-0 record in the octagon and 13 wins to his credit, had guaranteed to furiously dethrone Adesanya during their grudge match. He was less than kind in his utterances about Adesanya, but the champion emphatically devastated Costa with a brutal knockout in under two rounds. Echoes of this exchange now seem to resonate with tweets and blocks from Strickland regarding Adesanya’s manhood and career.
Adesanya stated that these antics felt all too familiar at UFC 293 media day, just like his face-off with Costa. The champion referred to his encounter with Costa in the hotel, where he observed a stark change in Costa’s energy when the cameras were off. These theatrics, according to Adesanya, are solely for the cameras, drawing a parallel between Costa and Strickland’s behavior. Adesanya also indicated the similar incident that unfolded with Strickland backstage at another UFC event, which further supported his comparison between Strickland and Costa.
Adesanya’s opinion of Strickland was heavily shaped by these incidents, especially after the middleweight contender consistently took shots at him in their shared stage at the UFC 276 press conference. Adesanya disregarded Strickland’s tough talk, arguing that these individuals tend to not be genuinely interested in a fight, but are merely putting up an act. The champion believes that Strickland is trying to look good against lesser competition and that his belligerence is an extension of the persona he presents on cameras. No matter the trash talk or the fighting style, Adesanya promises to be ready for any challenge thrown at him.