Paulo Costa has jokingly responded after all the backlash he received for saying he fought Israel Adesanya with a hangover.
Costa had entered the Adesanya fight sporting an undefeated record, but something appeared to be off in the scrap. With that said, it was “The Last Stylebender” who emerged victorious by way of second-round TKO.
Immediately after the loss, Costa claimed something happened and he wanted a rematch. He originally said his leg was impaired, but recently claimed he was hungover in the fight.
“I was kind of drunk (when) I fought, maybe, on a hangover. I couldn’t sleep because of the cramps. Keep in mind that the fight happens at 9 a.m., we have to wake up at 5 to get ready, stretch, wrap the hands. The UFC told us to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to the arena to fight. I hadn’t slept until 2:30,” Costa said on his YouTube channel. (h/t MMAFighting.com).
“It was my mistake and I don’t blame anyone else, it was something I chose, but, in order to try to sleep, because I had to sleep since I was awake for 24 hours,” Costa continued. “I had wine, too much wine, a bottle to try to blackout. I had a glass and didn’t work. Two glasses, it didn’t work. Half bottle didn’t work. I had it all.”
After he posted that, Adesanya and several other fighters have blasted the Brazilian for his excuse. However, he seems to be taking it well as he claims when he is sober, he is still undefeated.
Sober Costa is still undefeated,” Costa wrote on Twitter.
Paulo Costa is set to face Robert Whittaker on April 17. If he wins, there is a chance he gets the rematch with Adesanya that he wants. He also holds wins over Yoel Romero and Uriah Hall among others.
