Undefeated UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has some advice for his latest opponent, Paulo Costa.
Adesanya took on Costa in the main event of UFC 253 last Saturday, on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the fight, Costa was widely heralded as the champion’s toughest foe to date. In the end, however, those perceptions didn’t prove accurate.
After getting his lead leg chewed up in round one and offering almost nothing in the way of return fire, Costa was dropped and stopped by Adesanya in the second round in a pretty one-sided display.
Post-fight, many fans expressed surprise and disappointment with the way Costa performed. Adesanya, however, doesn’t seem to be surprised by the decisive nature of his victory, and actually has some post-fight advice for his rival.
Ahead of the fight, the pair exchanged ceaseless trash talk. Costa even recored a brief skit of himself chasing an Adesanya impersonator around the Octagon. The middleweight champion believes that, going forward, Costa should spend more time training and less time trolling if he hopes for better results.
“Spend your time in the gym wisely,” Adesanya wrote in a post to Instagram. “If you planned more for the fight than this skit, maybe you might actually have…nah you still wouldn’t have had a chance.”
In addition to this small piece of advice, Adesanya has taken several post-fight shots at his rival, too.
What did you think of the performances Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa put forth at UFC 253?