UFC middleweight contender and apparent wine connoisseur Paulo Costa says that next time he fights Israel Adesanya, he’ll do it sober.
Following his emphatic loss to Adesanya at UFC 253, Costa famously claimed that he’d drunk too much wine the night before the bout, and was still possibly drunk, and somehow, also hungover when he fought. The typically barnstorming Costa landed only 12 strikes on the wily Adesanya, who picked the Brazilian apart with a crisp display of striking, before earning a TKO in the second round.
It’s fair to say that night in September last year was probably one of “Borrachinha’s” worst-ever hangovers. Not only were his title hopes and 13-fight unbeaten streak shattered. Left slumped over in the middle of the octagon, with blood weeping from his face, the 30-year-old was controversially dry-humped by Adesanya —a post-fight celebration which saw Costa brand the champ “human trash.”
Paulo Costa Says He’ll Lay Off The Vino Next Time He Fights Israel Adesanya
This week Costa made his first media appearance since his loss to Adesanya almost a year ago.
Speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “Borrachinha,” revealed that he had guzzled an entire bottle of plonk the night before the title fight in an effort to fall asleep. Costa said that he often self-medicates by drinking “one cup of wine when I feel a lot of stress.”
But, the #2 ranked middleweight said that he’s learned his lesson, vowing that not if, but when he fights Adesanya again, he’ll lay off the claret beforehand.
“I will fight him again—if he’s still at 185 [pounds], with the belt—I will fight him again, but sober,” said Costa.
While Paulo might feel a rematch with Adesanya is destined, the Nigerian-born New Zealander disagrees. Shortly after their first encounter, “Stylebender” said that “I don’t think I ever see him again, to be honest,” before advising the Brazilian to just “let it go.”
Costa is however determined to work his way back into a shot at the title, despite several self-defeating attempts at doing so. He was forced to withdraw from his April bout Robert Whittaker due to illness. He then pulled out of his fight with Jarod Cannonier, scheduled for 21 August, in protest of low pay.
Costa is now expected to face Marvin Vettori in the main event of a yet to be finalized UFC event on October 23.
What do you think? If Costa refrains from drinking, can he defeat Israel Adesanya in a rematch?
