When Paulo Costa misplaced a unanimous resolution to Robert Whittaker within the co-main occasion of UFC 298, fellow middleweight Caio Borralho couldn’t assist however be baffled at how “Borrachinha” doesn’t appear to appropriate errors he’s made in a number of losses.
Borralho informed MMA Combating’s Trocação Franca podcast that he likes Costa as an entertaining athlete, however suggested him to return to the drafting board to repair his recreation.
“What worries me probably the most is that [Costa] ate the identical calf kicks [Israel] Adesanya landed,” Borralho stated. “The identical kicks. Once more. I used to be like, ‘How’s that? Can’t you see this?’ While you stand in your lead leg to throw the proper arms he throws, they are going to kick your calf. That’s primary today.
“I believed it was lack of [adjustments]. ’Borrachinha’ is a really harmful man, very athletic, simply throws tremendous quick head kicks. You see he’s large, gigantic, and kicks manner excessive on the top and might finish the battle in opposition to anybody on the earth, however I actually thought he lacked [adjustments].”
Borralho stated he skilled with Costa for a 10-day interval up to now however questioned his countryman’s capability of carry out on battle night time the identical manner Costa does within the fitness center. Costa began his skilled MMA profession with 13 straight victories and 11 knockouts, however hasn’t been in a position to end anybody since stopping Uriah Corridor in July 2018. Not one of the six males he beat below the UFC banner are nonetheless below contract with the promotion.
“‘Borrachinha’ is a machine,” Borralho stated. “I simply thought that when it’s time to battle, he can’t put that to make use of. I don’t know if it’s over-training, I don’t know, however I’m certain he can’t carry out in fights the way in which he does in coaching.”
All three judges scored the bout in favor of Whittaker, and Borralho poked enjoyable of Costa on social media for suggesting that he may have received a call, writing that the “enjoyable half was watching Paulo considering that his spinning heel kick within the first spherical received all of the rounds for him.”
“He is aware of he didn’t do sufficient to win the battle,” Borralho stated. “For those who get all three rounds and see what number of straight rights he landed, the hand he used to knock out all these guys throughout his profession, I believe he solely threw 4 of these your entire battle. He didn’t act to win the battle.
“Whittaker was scoring, scoring, scoring, touching and touching, utilizing his expertise, as a result of it appears that evidently Whittaker is out of rhythm [in his career]. Whittaker is fading, he’s not rising as he used to. I really feel that Whittaker is fading, however he received it together with his expertise, doing issues within the third spherical to attain and clearly win the battle, for my part.”
Costa will return to motion on June 1, when he meets former 185-pound champion Sean Strickland at UFC 302. Borralho attracts Paul Craig subsequent at UFC 301, which works down Might 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
