Paulo Costa’s coach Eric Albarracin wants Israel Adesanya to come out on top against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243. The reason? It will probably lead to a better buildup.
Adesanya is the interim middleweight champion and will face Whittaker in a title unification fight on October 5 in Melbourne. The winner of that contest is likely to defend the belt against Costa who is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Yoel Romero this past weekend.
Costa previously predicted that Whittaker would win but wanted Adesanya to come out on top because they’ve had their back-and-forths in the past. Albarracin is the same and believes Adesanya’s personality would make the buildup to a potential title fight much more exciting.
“I think that Whittaker is a little bit more complete but Israel Adesanya surprises me all the time too,” he told Submission Radio. “You know what? I would like Israel [to win] because those guys know how to sell a fight.
“He’s quick with his words and I like Israel. He’s an awesome striker, he comes from kickboxing, he comes from a great gym so he’ll be ready. I like Whittaker but Whittaker is quiet. Israel is more outspoken and that makes for a good buildup for a fight.”
While Albarracin thinks Whittaker is the more complete fighter, that doesn’t mean Adesanya isn’t capable of pulling off the victory either.
“I think Israel’s smart,” he added. “I think he’s a superb striker and if he concentrates on his [Whittaker] weak points, I think he wins the fight.”
You can see the full interview below:
