Tag: Israel Adesanya

Eugene Bareman: ‘It’s just outrageous’ to accuse Israel Adesanya of steroid use

Israel Adesanya’s right pectoral muscle raised questions at UFC 253, but his coach is laughing off allegations of wrongdoing.

City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman finds the accusations against his star pupil absolutely ludicrous.

Following middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s flawless second-round finish of Paulo Costa at UFC 253, controversy emerged when people noticed that Adesanya’s right pectoral muscle looked much different than his left. The muscle appeared inflamed and saggy, leading to speculation of gynecomastia, which brought about accusations of steroids use.

Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) already addressed the accusations, denying that he’s ever used performance enhancing drugs. His head coach, Bareman, was also asked about it in a recent interview with, Submission Radio and all he could do was laugh.

“I mean, in typical Kiwi fashion we just kind of laughed it off,” Bareman said. “Just because we’re, like, so confident, and we know that nothing could be further from the truth. So, like, when something is so outlandish, it kind of becomes funny. Because it’s just so outlandish it kind of takes on this comedy-type feel. So, I found it kind of funny. But it’s outrageous. I think it’s just outrageous. To be pretty honest, we’ve just laughed it off.”

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Bareman, known to have a strict code at his gym when it comes ethics, is certain that Adesanya has never taken anything, even accidentally.

“Like, it’s just – I mean, not withstanding something maybe accidentally – and the chances of that are like slim to none, as well, because we’re so good at using the right approved supplements and stuff,” Bareman said. “It’s just never been a part of our ethics and morals at the gym. In fact, like you said, we’ve been very outspoken against it.

“Like, it’s even funny that we’re even talking about it, because you said there’s an issue, because obviously physically he has that anomaly on his chest, but for us it kind of isn’t an issue. It’s just like, let’s just find out what that is and move on, and who’s the next fight?”

Adesanya recently underwent an MRI on his right pectoral and was awaiting results as of Sunday. Bareman says they’re expecting to hear back any day now.

“I might get the results probably tomorrow, because I think it’s Sunday over in America,” Bareman said. “The UFC has our bloods. The UFC has our … I think we did an MRI or ultrasound or one or the other, or both. We have those results to send to our physicians. The UFC has them, as well.

“We just need to get to the bottom of what exactly it is, whether it’s low testosterone, whether it’s some other abnormality in the chest. We just have to get to the bottom of it, and we’re trying to, and we will have that in the next coming days, I think.”

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Dana White calls Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya ‘the fight to make’ after Twitter war

The beef between Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya has kicked into high gear, and it’s resonating with UFC president Dana White.

The feud between [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] has kicked into high gear in recent days, and it’s resonating with UFC president Dana White.

Although plenty of words have been exchanged – verbally and over social media – in recent years, the rivalry between Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) and Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has reached a new level since the middle champion’s successful title defense against Paulo Costa at UFC 253 this past month.

An endless stream of Twitter insults has been ongoing, with the fighters taking shots at each other’s skills, personal lives and even bringing family into the equation. It’s all building toward what feels like an inevitable clash, and White said he’s on board with it.

“That’s the fight to make, 100 percent,” White told UFC Arabia on Friday. “I think that a fight between those two is massive.”

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Just because White has expressed interest in Adesanya vs. Jones doesn’t mean it’ll happen next, he said.

Adesanya appears committed to defending his 185-pound title against the top available contender, while Jones is plotting a long-anticipated move up to the heavyweight division after vacating the 205-pound championship.

White couldn’t put a timeline on when a possible Adesanya vs. Jones showdown might happen, but it’s certainly a matchup he’s prepared to pull the trigger on.

“It doesn’t depend on what I want; it depends on what they want to do,” White said. “Adesanya is a champ. He’s really coming into his own, and you can tell he knows this is his house, and he comes and acts like it. I think he wants the winner of Whittaker and Cannonier, and then we’ll see what happens after that.”

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Chris Weidman: I present more trouble for Israel Adesanya than anyone’s ever had

Chris Weidman is confident that he’d pose the biggest threat to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] is confident he’d pose the biggest threat to UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].

Weidman (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC), a former middleweight champion, has stacked up one of the best resumes in the division’s history. Although he’s recently struggled, losing six of his past eight, Weidman thinks that stylistically he’s a tough matchup for Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) .

“I think that’s a tailor-made matchup for me,” Weidman said in an interview with Chael Sonnen. “Those athletic strikers – tall, lanky guys – I’ve proven that I can beat. I think pressure, wrestling, heavy punches and kicks – just nonstop pressure is what you need to beat them. That’s the recipe that beats those guys. I’ve proved that with Anderson Silva twice, (and) Uriah Hall (is) another one. Those guys are in trouble against me.”

There are two pivotal middleweight matchups upcoming between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier, as well as Darren Till and Jack Hermansson, and the next No. 1 contender is expected to emerge from one of those fights.

But Weidman, who holds wins over the likes Silva twice, Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida, thinks his wrestling credentials and overall accolades in the division warrant a shot at the unbeaten Adesanya.

“I think that’s an exciting fight to make,” Weidman said. “If you look up and down the rankings, I don’t think there’s too many other fights that are going to excite people the way our narratives could work and what I bring to the table. It’s not any (expletive), it’s just facts.

“If you’re into MMA and you really understand the game, you look at my game, you know I present some serious trouble for Adesanya, and more than anybody’s ever had in the past. He hasn’t really fought any really great, accoladed wrestlers other than Yoel Romero, who doesn’t use his wrestling, so I don’t even count that. I’m the type of guy that will bring that pressure, and I will take him down and I’ll rag doll him on the floor.”

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UFC 253 ‘Fight Motion’: Israel Adesanya’s technique reigns supreme

Check UFC 253 highlights, including Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz’s title victories in super slow motion.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] put on a masterclass display of technique in his winning effort against [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] at UFC 253 this past Saturday.

After a round of technical boxing, leg kicks and footwork, Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) moved into Round 2 – what proved to be the final round of the fight. Adesanya finished Costa with punches. A left hook was the beginning of the end for Costa, who fell to the canvas. A few follow-up shots later, Adesanya retained his belt in his second successful UFC title defense.

Also featured in UFC 253 “Fight Motion” is new light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz earning gold with a second-round TKO of Dominick Reyes, sequences from a wild “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning fight between Brandon Royval and Kai-Kara-France, as well as a whole host of undercard battles.

UFC 253 took place Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Check out UFC 253 “Fight Motion” in the video above.

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Israel Adesanya addresses pectoral controversy stemming from UFC 253 title defense

UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya discusses controversy surrounding his odd-looking right pectoral muscle at UFC 253.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] hsa addressed some of the recent speculations floating around the Internet.

Adesanya left plenty to talk about after the second title defense of his middleweight belt at UFC 253 this past Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) stopped Paulo Costa in the second round of their main event. It was a dominant performance that had many people talking. His controversial post-fight celebration also made headlines.

But those weren’t the only things that had fans talking Saturday night. Adesanya’s right pectoral muscle was also a point of conversation because it looked much different than his left. Many thought it was an injury, but others accused the champion of taking steroids.

“No, I haven’t (taken steroids),” Adesanya told UFC broadcast partner ESPN. “I’m not one of those people who need a crutch that when it gets taken away you feel weak, you feel inadequate. You see with when (the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) came through, you saw a lot of bodies change and a lot of people didn’t feel good enough without their magic supplements. But yeah – not me. Skills pay the bills.”

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Adesanya did acknowledge that something is going on with his right pectoral muscle.

“I didn’t want to speak on it until I knew what it was because it’s been on me the last eight weeks, and it was growing,” Adesanya explained. “I was like, ‘This is quite sore.’ And even my girl told me to go to the doctor, but I was like, ‘No I want to get this fight over with first.’ I don’t know what it is, but from what I read about (gynecomastia), it happens to both your boobs and this is just one.”

Adesanya said he took a blood test following the fight, along with MRI scans, to check his pituitary gland.

“I’ve never been one to diagnose myself with Google, so I wasn’t going to start now,” Adesanya said. “I’ve done my tests and I’m waiting for the results.”

Adesanya scuffed any fan speculations of steroid use. He attributed claims to haters trying to discredit his win over Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC).

“I don’t know what this is, but you know what? With a performance like that, I would think I was on steroids, too,” Adesanya said. “They need something. ‘It couldn’t just be him. It couldn’t be him. It must be something.’ So for me, it’s just fun and games.”

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Video: Did Israel Adesanya’s dry-hump celebration go too far?

UFC fighters-turned-commentators Paul Felder, Dan Hardy and Angela Hill offer their unique perspectives on Israel Adesanya’s celebration.

ABU DHABI – Did [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] go too far with his UFC 253 post-fight celebration?

After finishing [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] with strikes in Round 2, Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) dry-humped his downed rival who laid face down on the canvas. Moments later, Adesanya was seen exchanging words with Costa’s coach, Eric Albarracin, before pretending to ejaculate on him.

On Tuesday, three UFC fighters-turned-commentators weighed in on the topic during a series of interviews. [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag], [autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag] and [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] each offered a unique perspective on Adesanya’s hip-thrusting on top of Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC).

Check out their reactions to Adesanya’s post-fight theatrics in the video above.

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UFC 253 took place this past Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island. The main card streamed live on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The event was the first of five the promotion is holding during its second stint on “Fight Island.”

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Jon Jones doubts Israel Adesanya wants fight: ‘I would literally tear one of your arms off’

Jon Jones had some choice words for Israel Adesanya after seeing the UFC 253 post-fight news conference.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] has said on several occasions he’s looking to [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], but Jones remains skeptical.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion, Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) took to Instagram on Monday, posting a video clip of UFC middleweight champion Adesanya’s UFC 253 post-fight news conference from Saturday.

In the clip, Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) talks about wanting to fight Jones, but that he’d have to speak with his head coach, City Kickboxing’s Eugene Bareman, before making any decisions.

Jones, who has had a long-standing beef with Adesanya, took exception to Adesanya’s use of the word “but” and claimed the UFC middleweight champ is bluffing in saying he wants the fight.

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“BUT what?” Jones wrote. “You’ve stepped into the ring over 100 times now and you’re still not ready!? You have a youth advantage and like four times the fighting experience. The truth is you’re already my (expletive), you love being undefeated and you’ve seen what’s happened to everyone else. It raises your stock to mention my name. (You’re) aware of this. You don’t want real confrontation with me (because) I’m not gonna just stand there and kickbox with you. I’ve been preparing for heavyweights. (Right) around now I would literally tear one of your arms off.”

Check out Jon Jones’ full Instagram post below:

Jones, 33, has not competed since a February 2020 split decision victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. After a dispute with UFC president Dana White over pay, Jones vacated his 205-pound title in mid-August. He has since declared he will move up to heavyweight for his next fight – though he has hinted at interest in a 205-pound return, as well.

Adesanya, 31, successfully defended the promotion’s 185-pound title for the second time Saturday in the UFC 253 main event. Taking on bitter rival Paulo Costa, Adesanya finished the fight with punches in Round 2.

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Paulo Costa calls Israel Adesanya ‘human trash’ for lewd post-fight celebration, demands rematch

Paulo Costa is furious with Israel Adesanya.

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] is furious with [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].

After seeing a replay of Adesanya’s lewd post-fight celebration, Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) posted a video to his Instagram, ripping into his UFC 253 opponent and vowing to get revenge for the UFC middleweight champion’s actions.

“I come here to talk about the action the human trash did – the human trash did – after our fight,” Costa said. “I didn’t see when I was down in the cage, but I saw now. I disapprove 100 percent. To me, this is not done now. Nobody will stop me. Nobody can stop me. I am (coming) for you Adesanya. I want my rematch – and you know I’m waiting for you.”

Costa’s anger stems from Adesanya pretending to hump or “rawdog” him, as Adesanya put it, when the fight was stopped. Costa was down on the canvas, hurt from strikes while Adesanya’s pelvic thrusting took place.

In addition to ranting about Adesanya’s mocking celebration, Costa alluded to, but did not elaborate on, “something” that happened before the fight. Costa said he was not “100 percent” against Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), but that if the two fight again, he will be.

“Something happened before the fight,” Costa said. “I’m not (making) an excuse here to my people and my fans. I’ll be 100 percent to fight and make him pay. That’s my words. Save my words.”

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The video caught the attention of Adesanya, who posted two responses in the comments.

“I can stop you… again,” Adesanya wrote, along with, “Dislike.”

Check out Costa’s response video below:

UFC 253 took place Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.  The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view. The prelims streamed on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3091: UFC 253 reaction with John Morgan from ‘Fight Island’

Check out the latest edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,091 of the podcast, the fellas look back at UFC 253 to discuss [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s masterful performance against Paulo Costa, what to expect from [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]’s light heavyweight title reign after he finished Dominick Reyes, [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag]’s fighting future (should he retire?), and more. They also react to the talk surrounding a potential boxing match between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Manny Pacquiao[/autotag].

Take a listen above as MMA Junkie’s John Morgan joins the show from Abu Dhabi.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Watch Israel Adesanya soak in masterclass performance against Paulo Costa at UFC 253

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya relives his moment after finishing Paulo Costa at UFC 253.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] did exactly what he said he’d do at UFC 253 – maybe even better.

Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) finished [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] to retain his title this past weekend, using his movement, speed and technique to score a flawless second-round TKO over the formerly unbeaten Brazilian.

The “Last Stylebender” is known to be a visionary, and after saying he’d make it look easy on the night, he reflected on his moment by walking across the octagon post-fight and taking it all in.

In less than three years with the UFC, the undefeated champion has risen to superstardom, picking up nine wins, notching seven bonuses and successfully defending his title twice.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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