5 UFC fighters who can't stand Israel Adesanya

#4 Robert Whittaker

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker recently ruffled a few feathers when he called Israel Adesanya's performance against Marvin Vettori 'average'.

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“He’s definitely not a God and not even as good as he thinks he is," said Robert Whittaker.

'The Last Stylebender responded with a dig of his own.

I might not be a god to you, but I baptized you #Jezus
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) June 21, 2021

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Both fighters have expressed disdain for each other over time. The last time these two middleweights faced each other in the octagon was at UFC 243 in Australia. The event had the largest live audience in UFC history.

Also read: "I baptized you" - Israel Adesanya trolls "son" Robert Whittaker on the occasion of Father's Day

The fight ended with the New Zealander emerging victorious as he knocked out 'The Reaper' in the second round of the fight. Since then, a rematch has frequently been on the cards.

After his win over Marvin Vettori, Adesanya used his post-fight interview to call out Whittaker for a rematch.

'Bobby Knuckles' also responded to the callout on Twitter:

Rest up, see you soon. @ufc #ufc263
— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) June 13, 2021

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The rematch now appears to be a real possibility with both fighters on board. It remains to be seen whether the two middleweights will bury the hatchet after their rematch.

Also read: 5 Reasons why Robert Whittaker can defeat Israel Adesanya in their rematch

#3 Paulo Costa

One of the most entertaining rivalries to come out in recent times is between middleweight fighters Paulo Costa and Israel Adesanya.

It was pretty evident from the trash-talk between the two that Costa and Adesanya cannot stand each other.

Both fighters insulted each other every chance they got in the build-up to their fight at UFC 253.

'The Last Stylebender' completely dismantled 'Borrachinha' when the two finally fought in the octagon. The New Zealander chopped up Costa's leg with kicks before finishing him in the second round of the title fight.

After the fight, the Brazilian fighter gave a bizarre excuse for his poor performance, saying he was hungover before the fight.

Paulo Costa says he drank ‘too much wine’ the night before fighting Israel Adesanya, had ‘hangover’ (@guicruzzz)https://t.co/arUSFj2NZ6 pic.twitter.com/xjZs6FAdl5
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) February 28, 2021

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Also read: His ego can't handle that the 'Skinny Clown' whooped him - Israel Adesanya tears into Paulo Costa for 'hangover' excuse in UFC 253 loss

About the author

Puneet has a total of 2.5 years of experience and specializes in reporting on MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, which aided him in his writing skills.

The iconic interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189 in 2015 ignited Puneet’s passion for the sport. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira stands out as Puneet’s favorite MMA fighter as he's drawn to 'Do Bronx's' captivating background story and entertaining persona. He is a believer of MMA being the world’s no.1 combat sport as opposed to Boxing.

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Puneet’s professional achievements include covering major events such as UFC 264 and several boxing matches featuring renowned fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.

Beyond MMA, Puneet likes to watch movies.

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Edited by John Cunningham