Anthony Johnson criticizes Borrachinha's performance and stance against Adesanya: 'Be a man and grow up!'

A. Johnson (left) criticizes Borrachinha's (right) performance and stance against I. Adesanya. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

If the clash between Israel adesanya e Paulo borrachinha, UFC 253, did not live up to expectations and was the domination of 2020, according to Dana White, the post-fight continues to pay off. The rivalry made the duo behave, act and say harsh and Anthony Johnson condemned certain attitudes.

When participating in former fighter Mike Swick's podcast, 'Rumble' harshly criticized the Brazilian for not taking the fight for the middleweight belt (83,9kg) with the seriousness it required, and criticized the fact that the Minas Gerais native was not handling it well with the defeat and, given what happened, he doesn't think a rematch is necessary.

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“The way Paulo acted, he wasn’t focused. How many athletes have done what he did and been successful? This is not something you can joke about, especially in a title fight. Don't fight like that! Adesanya was focused and serious. Paulo thought it would be easy, that Adesanya is thin, a white belt, that he was nothing. Being thin has its advantages. I don't understand Paulo being upset about what Adesanya did. He talked a lot, he was knocked out and he was angry, why was he embarrassed? Stop it, be a man and grow up! He also can't demand a rematch after a performance as bad as the one he had. That’s not smart and it certainly wouldn’t sell anything,” Johnson said.

The American informed that he had bet on Adesanya and not only praised the category champion, but also revealed that he suffered when training with him.

“I thought Adesanya would win that way. Paulo doesn't move well. He presses and moves forward, but he doesn't know how to move backwards and defend himself. I've trained with Adesanya and he beat me. It was a beating! He is very good and I have to praise him. Adesanya is the best striker!”, he concluded.

At 36, Anthony Johnson, who announced his retirement in 2017, is preparing to return to MMA. 'Rumble' fought twice for the light heavyweight belt (93kg) and, in the future, could face Israel adesanya e Paulo borrachinha, as both assured that their stay at middleweight is temporary.