UFC champion Israel Adesanya prefers fighting behind-closed-doors as you don't have 'drunk' fans yelling 'twist his d---'
- Israel Adesanya beat Paulo Costa with ease at the behind-closed-doors UFC 253 event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
- It was the UFC middleweight champion's first fight during the pandemic era of sports, having won his last fight in March before coronavirus-enforced lockdowns.
- Adesanya told reporters at the post-event press conference that he actually prefers fighting in an empty arena.
- He said it's because you don't get fans who've been drinking for six hours yelling obscenities like "twist his d---."
The UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya prefers fighting behind-closed-doors because he says you don't get drunk fans yelling obscenities in the middle of a match.
Adesanya retained his UFC title with a masterclass performance inside the Flash Forum on Fight Island. In partnership with the Abu Dhabi government, the purpose-built arena provides the world's leading mixed martial arts firm with a quarantined bubble to host events during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nigerian-born New Zealand striker ushered in a second UFC residency on Fight Island, defending his belt against the middleweight challenger Paulo Costa, beating the Brazilian with ease.
Adesanya told reporters at the post-fight press conference that, while he loves MMA fans, there appears to be fewer distractions when there is no audience.
"I love it, honestly … it's much better," the 31-year-old said.
"You don't have these drunk guys who have been drinking since six hours ago, yelling: 'Knock him out,' 'Stand him up, ref,' [and] 'Twist his d---.'
"I love fans, do not get me wrong, and this event would have been beautiful with fans, but at the same breath some of them, in droves, are stupid — dumb as f---."
Adesanya continued: "I have beautiful interactions [with fans] most times, but the mob mentality [makes them] dumb as pig s---."
Adesanya's performance impressed the UFC president Dana White
A fight involving Adesanya and Costa was supposed to be competitive but the champion was always in control. He bloodied Costa's face with a head kick, finished him with ground-and-pound, and then pretended to hump him after the second-round knockout win.
The performance earned him a $50,000 bonus and left the UFC president Dana White awe-struck.
White told reporters: "So much for fight of the year [as that was a] domination of the year.
"If you look at every other fight Costa has had, he comes out and goes after people like they owe him money. And I think he landed one jab in this fight, didn't try to clinch in the fence, and didn't try to put pressure … kept going back to the center of the Octagon — very weird."
White added: "Adesanya put on a clinic. The first three calf kicks busted his leg, hit him on the side of his knee — a huge welt, shin to the eye. He absolutely dismantled him and easily won the fight."
With victory, Adesanya advanced his pro-MMA record to a flawless 20 wins (15 knockouts and five decisions), unbeaten.
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