Israel Adesanya exudes confidence, but he is not confident USADA has kept a close eye on Paulo Costa.
Adesanya defends the UFC middleweight title against Paulo Costa in the main event of UFC 253. Adesanya claims to have been tested multiple times by USADA ahead of the title bout and he wonders if Costa has been tested at all.
“Even before the interview kicked off, when I saw him initially, I asked him a few questions that he couldn’t really give me a straight answer to. [I asked him about] The last time he got tested. He couldn’t give me a straight answer, put it that way," Adesanya told Submission Radio. "And I told him, I got tested twice in the last three weeks. Twice in the last three weeks I got tested. At night, cause they tried to catch me off guard. So, it was the first time they ever tested me at night. So, where’s your t-shirt? I’ve been tested over 30 times, but where’s your t-shirt? I know what it’s like. I’m from Lagos City, Nigeria. I know what it’s like in certain countries where money talks. Where if you flash your gun, people act a certain way. I know what it’s like. You’ve heard stories about Brazil with people running up to gyms to test people and then they’re not compliant of certain things. But yeah, I just know what it’s like. But I don’t mind. I just like bringing that up cause I want it to be known, cause I said on record, I’m gonna pop him before USADA pops him. So, I’m gonna beat him. And then when he gets popped by USADA down the line, I’ll be like, yup, I still whooped his ass even when he was on steroids. That would make a great story."
According to the USADA website, Adesanya has been tested six times by USADA and Costa has been tested five times. The middleweight champion believes he got under Costa’s skin during their mutual appearance on ESPN SportsCenter.
“What, him trying to flash the camera with his b**ch tits? F**k, I didn’t like the way they cut that at the end. Cause they ended the interview and I left because the interview was over, not like I just packed up and left. Cause I was like, wait, they edited that wrongly. They didn’t show the bit where the presenter was signing off, and then they cut to me and him talking s**t, and I was like, right, I’m not going to argue with this dumb ass all day, peace, love you, whatever I said. It was all good. I think I’m under his skin already. Not really think, I know I’m under his skin already. I kind of wish this was, what do you call it, BC, before corona. I wish it was BC, because that way it would be a press conference around different countries or different cities, and I could see him face to face and I could actually give him s**t and really dig under his skin. But he’s very easy to get under his skin,” says Adesanya.
UFC 253 takes place on Saturday, September 26 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada with Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
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