Israel Adesanya wants to knock out Sean Strickland with his 'painted nails'

Israel Adesanya is not mincing words when it comes to how he feels about Sean Strickland.

Adesanya and Strickland are slated to face off for the championship title at UFC 293 next month. This highly-anticipated bout will provide Strickland an opportunity to prove his worth against Adesanya, who has been quite outspoken about his thoughts on his controversial opponent. The stage is set for an explosive encounter as both fighters vie for the ultimate glory in the Octagon.

“He’s an idiot,” Adesanya told MMA Fighting of his future opponent. “I’m not going to lose to an idiot. He says he’s not going to lose to a guy that jerks off to cartoons or paints his nails. Well, I’m going to paint my nails for that fight and I’m going to knock him out with my painted nails.”

He continued, “I’m going to paint my nails and knock him out. That vision right there gets me up. That’s what motivates me because I’ve had that vision of having my nails painted, knocking him out and just showing my nails to the camera like look, with my frosted tips, I knocked his b**** ass out.

Strickland consistently raises eyebrows with his controversial and often provocative remarks. His outspoken nature and tendency to make bold statements have stirred the pot more than once, attracting both criticism and intrigue.

He is known to trash-talk his opponents, a trait that has earned him a reputation for being unfiltered but he may have finally met his match in Adesanya.

“I don’t like the way he conducts himself,” Adesanya said. “Even his sparring footage will pop up in my feed sometimes and I’m just like what the f***? Who does that? He’s a gym hero. He’s just an idiot and he’s not the kind of person I associate myself with and also he’s fugazi."

Israel Adesanya questions the authenticity of Sean Strickland's personality 'He’s a fake guy'

Adesanya's criticism of Strickland extends beyond just his behavior. He questions the authenticity of Strickland's public persona, accusing him of putting on a show for fans.

“The way he is normally backstage is not the same way when the crowd’s there. When the crowd’s there, he puts on the clown persona and tries to entertain people, which they love and it’s cool, but he’s not the same. I even put a little receipt, just one of them, on a clip I did [running into him] backstage — if you want to have this energy at the press conference, you could have had this energy backstage when I smacked you on the ass. He’s a fake guy.”