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Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya spoke about his beef with Paulo Costa ahead of the two's battle at UFC 253 on Saturday.
Adesanya said the beef between he and Costa does not have a true origin, instead suggesting the two simply do not get along due to mismatched “energy:”
“There wasn't really an origin, it's just energies,” Israel Adesanya told CBS Sports. “There are certain energies that don't mix well with other energies. You have to be able to understand it and read it, and also to trust and protect your instincts. That's what I did. He just happened to be vibrating around it everywhere and not everything happens for a reason.
“It's mutual; I don't like you and you don't like me. F— you and f— you.”
The two middleweight stars have had plenty of time to build up the drama leading into Saturday's championship bout.
Israel Adesanya became the interim champion after winning a thrilling, five-round decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum in April of last year. He then unified the titles by defeating Robert Whittaker by KO/TKO later that year.
Costa appeared to be Adesanya's first title defense after he edged a decision win over the dangerous Yoel Romero at UFC 241 last August. But Costa injured his right foot and later underwent biceps surgery in October, delaying the fight inevitably.
Instead, Romero was awarded the chance to fight Adesanya, though “Izzy” retained the title via unanimous decision.
Paulo Costa has since healed from his injuries, and there has been no shortage of trash talk between the two. The Brazilian even threw a white belt at Adesanya during a face-off on Friday morning.
THE BEEF IS REAL 😤
Things get personal as Costa taunts Adesanya with a white belt at weigh-ins.
[ #UFC253 – LIVE on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/QLKv2kFUC5 ] pic.twitter.com/axIHv9vhsh
— UFC (@ufc) September 25, 2020
Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa will finally have the opportunity to settle the bad blood on Saturday at UFC Fight Island for UFC 253.
