I. Adesanya (left) kicks P. Borrachinha (right) in the UFC 253. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @ufc
Considered one of the Brazilian promises for the future of Ultimate, Paulo borrachinha caused controversy when he revealed behind-the-scenes details of his defeat to Israel Adesanya, UFC 253. Performing below expectations in the most important clash of his career, the Brazilian surprised by stating that he drank alcohol before the match due to insomnia and leg cramps. The statement was made on his channel on YouTube.
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“He had the merit of knocking me out, of taking advantage of what he had. We are talking about the champion. I fought half drunk, with a hangover. He couldn't sleep because of the cramps. The fight there takes place at 9 am, we have to wake up at 5 am. Until 2:30 am I hadn't slept. That was my mistake, but to try to sleep I drank wine, a lot of wine, a bottle to try to put it out. I turned. It was a very different feeling”, said Paulo.
Known for his aggressiveness and for being an athlete who puts pressure on his rivals in the octagon, Borrachinha recognizes that he was below expectations in his first UFC belt fight. The Minas Gerais native then made it clear what his real condition was in the fight for the middleweight title (up to 83,9kg).
“In the fight against Adesanya, I was at 20% capacity. We had to change the strategy in the locker room. The right thing would be not to fight. Many asked what happened, they said I was different, but my condition was terrible, horrible. (…) The Athletic Commission went to the locker room twice to look at my leg. I was confident, I wanted to fight and I made the wrong strategy,” he said.
In one of the most anticipated duels in recent Ultimate history, Borrachinha did not have the success he expected against the category leader. The Brazilian, however, already has a confirmed date to resume his journey towards a new chance at the belt.
The Minas Gerais native was confirmed as the opponent of the former group champion, Robert whittaker (number one in the ranking). The clash will take place on April 17th. The winner must guarantee the right to challenge Israel, which has already beaten both the Minas Gerais and the Australian.
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