UFC 278 is almost here, and as usual, Embedded is here as well. The show that gives you an inside look at the marquee contestants on PPVs has issued the fifth episode for this weekend’s big show in SLC, and it serves as a brief introduction to the fighters at the top of the card.
We start off at the athlete hotel with Luke Rockhold, who runs into longtime teammate Daniel Cormier. Cormier asks, as a friend, why he would pick Paulo Costa to face off with. Rockhold says no one likes him, but Costa scares him. He’s a top guy and that’s a huge source of motivation. Costa does media and says Rockhold’s chin will be tested. His English is actually pretty good now.
Time for welterweight title challenger Leon Edwards. He says Kamaru Usman is a good wrestler but he’s a good mixed martial artist. As he’s leaving he’s greeted by bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, who wishes him luck.
Usman says it won’t be a similar fight than the first, because they’re different fighters now. But when it comes down to it, Edwards won’t want to wrestle with him. He admits that he’s scared that Leon’s boxing is better than his, more fluid. He’s moonwalking all over the photo studio.
Off to Merab Dvalishvili now. He says growing up in Georgia was tough and he had a lot of street fights, but sports changed his life. His teammate says there’s nothing like having a guy like Merab to train with every day because he brings utter insanity.
Rockhold and Chito Vera have a mock knife fight. Chito is better at archery than Rockhold, and he’s impressed. This is, by far, the most upbeat I’ve ever seen Rockhold before a fight.
Press conference time. Usman talks about his worth ethic being king. Rockhold and Costa talk some smack. Face offs. Costa charges onto the stage and Rockhold is heated, but Costa tells him the fight is Saturday and to be cool. That seems to motivate Rockhold even more. Usman and Edwards are are respectful but intense.
And that’s it! UFC 278 goes down tonight in SLC!
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