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After what seems like a real life, Aotearoa’s most outspoken jock will return to work tomorrow in Abu Dhabi as part of the main event of UFC 253.
Israel Adesanya hasn’t thrown a punch in anger since March 7, that’s before the lockdown for anyone whose memory can go back that far, but hopefully a few will land on Brazilian Paulo Costa.
The two men will enter the fight (scheduled for late afternoon NZT, but a start at 5-6am local time due to the lack of a crowd and thus you are free to organize around the best space for a American television audience), which is for Adesanya’s middleweight. world title, with the rarest of appendages in mixed martial arts.
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Israel Adesanya is a huge favorite to defend his UFC middleweight title.
Both have immaculate records, with Adesanya at 19-0 and Costa at 13-0, one more stat at home in boxing.
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To put it in context, the sport’s biggest draw of all time, Conor McGregor, has a 22-4 record that includes a loss in just his third professional fight.
However, there is nothing unusual about the amount of trash talk that is being tossed around in the run-up.
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Paulo Costa from Brazil.
Costa, in true combat sport style, sent a foul-mouthed tirade in Adesanya on Twitter in June that cannot be posted here.
Unfortunately, his command of English clearly needs some work, and he signed the tweet as the self-proclaimed ‘King of B * tches’.
This is in addition to Costa being in constant dispute over drug testing, with his team doctor receiving a two-year ban for administering IV drips illegally before a fight and Adesanya saying his opponent is “ squeezed to the core. ”
Again, this is nothing new.
Kai Kara-France will be in action on Sunday.
New Zealand’s other UFC top star, Mark Hunt, has waged a long and drawn-out battle promoting what he perceives as endemic to enhancing drug use.
Given the grotesque and hulking mass of his most high-profile opponent, Brock Lesnar in 2016, it’s hard not to believe him, especially when the outcome of that fight was reversed after Lesnar tested positive for clomefine (a commonly used estrogen suppressant). to treat female infertility).
But while Costa’s questionable training methods and jaw give the fight an edge, they’re not the only reason fight fans in New Zealand are tuning in.
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Kiwi Shane Young celebrates winning his fight against Austin Arnett last year.
Adesanya’s latest victory, against another blasphemous Brazilian, Yoel Romero, was criticized for its lack of aesthetic quality.
The laborious nature of the fight, especially the first two action-free rounds, was in contrast to Adesanya’s impressive displays against Kelvin Gastelum and Robert Whittaker last year that set him up and won the middleweight title respectively, so this fight was it’s looking like something of a hopeful return to form.
However, that hasn’t kept Adesanya quiet in the meantime.
After winning the Halberg Athlete of the Year Award in February, after which he delivered a passionate speech about what it means to be a Nigerian-born Kiwi representing your country, Adesanya has unsurprisingly supported Black Lives. Matter. movement and the next vote “yes” to the referendum on cannabis.
That and just say what you want, when you want.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Brad Riddell is also in action.
That makes it almost unique in New Zealand sport. Her Halberg speech was in stark contrast to the almost pitiful words of acceptance from an extremely unsuspecting Silver Ferns crew, who had the spotlight of what was a multi-awards night for them quickly moved to the confident and confident Adesanya.
The fighter’s further claim that he is ‘bigger than the All Blacks’, an almost heretical statement in New Zealand sport, has been almost reluctantly adhered to by most given that their social media numbers actually back that up.
That and the undeniable fact that it is undeniably more interesting, although this is an extremely low bar to clear, given that a few weeks ago in Wellington it was like drawing blood from a stone and asking a couple of players if they wanted to do the North v El Southern game is an annual gathering, no matter what you think of Jacinda Ardern.
However, none of that matters once the bell rings. This is the fighting game.
Although a loss will not kill any race, it will mean that someone will have to eat your words; in Costa’s case, it will be a lot of bad translations, and it will be interesting to see if he sticks to his hilarious nickname.
New Zealand is well represented on the card with Shane Young, Brad Ridell and Kai Kara France heading into battle as well on another red-letter day for prolific trainer Eugene Bareman and his stable of City Kickboxing, so there’s a lot to watch out for. at UFC 253.
* Follow all the action with a live blog on Stuff.co.nz on Sunday
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