“I will not shake his hand”- Paulo Costa isn’t interested in making peace with Israel Adesanya

The UFC middleweight title is up for grabs at UFC 253 when the champion Isreal Adesanya faces Paulo Costa in September, but there is more on the line than just the belt for the challenger.

Costa has a genuine disdain for Isreal, no matter how the fight goes there will be no peace afterward. 

After mauling middleweights contenders for two years, Costa finally gets his title shot. The two fighters have been on each other’s radar for a while and the trash-talking has resulted in bad blood going into the fight. Costa says the beef is real, especially after the steroid accusations made by the champion. 

Costa says this fight will not be the end of it.

“Even after I knock him out, I will not shake his hand,” Costa told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “It will be wild. It will be savage. … I believe in the second round (I will knock him out) because he will run a lot in the first round.”

Costa knows he’s dangerous and vows to go for the finish.

“I will not be staying and waiting for him,” Costa said. “I know he can run a lot, and that’s what he wants to do, what he usually does. I won’t wait like Romero did.

I will hunt him inside the cage and close the distance and land my shots to his body and his face. … Don’t go so fast like Whittaker and don’t go slow like Romero. Make a balance. I think I am very different from both guys because I can pressure him every minute for the 25 minutes.

“I can keep the pressure very, very aggressive against him. I can push him at all times, and I have a lot of power in my hands, on my bones in my hands and kicks. Against him, I just need one shot to finish the fight.”

Costa had some final words for the champion.

“To Israel Adesanya, I would just like to say: Don’t give up in this fight,” Costa said. “Let’s fight. It’s your time to fight me, to face me, and let’s see how many hits on your skinny body, skinny face you can get.”

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