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MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for both Paulo Costa and Dominick Reyes in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for both Paulo Costa and Dominick Reyes in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for both Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for both Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”
Israel Adesanya is wasting no time turning the page after a flawless title defense against Paulo Costa at UFC 253.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Israel Adesanya [/autotag] backed up his talk exactly as predicted against [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC 253.
Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) said over and over in the weeks and months leading up to his second-round TKO of Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the pay-per-view headliner at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi that he would be too slick and accurate for his challenger. That proved true, as he delivered a near-flawless performance.
Although there was a narrative coming into the fight that Costa may have made a mental impact on the champion, Adesanya said he didn’t buy it. The champ said he sensed everything that was coming, from the first time he encountered Costa on fight week until they stepped in the octagon.
“I’m 10 steps ahead,” Adesanya told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC 253. “I told you guys I’m 10 steps ahead. You think these are just words, but I’m 10 steps ahead. … I told you guys in the pre-fight I’m not a human punching bag. He’s only fought human punching bags, guys who will just stand there and cover up. They just let him tee off on them. I knew, because he was cutting me off. Bro, we are the best, City Kickboxing.”
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Adesanya said he wasn’t surprised by the lack of competitiveness in the matchup with Costa. The Brazilian implemented some unusual tactics in the contest, taunting Adesanya while eating some big shots along the way until eventually succumbing to the damage.
The champion said “he ain’t no hype job” after the bout, and he wouldn’t be suckered into Costa’s strategy in the 100th professional victory of his combat sports career.
“They just want me to stand there so I can get punched,” Adesanya said. “I’m not stupid, dummy. I told you, he’s dumb. I’m smart. This is my 100th win in combat sports all around. One fight, two fights, three fights, four fights, five fights, six fights – all the way to a (expletive) hundred. I’m not a (expletive) baby for this game. I’ve been in this (expletive) for a long time and I’m still fresh.”
As far as what’s next, Adesanya said there are options galore. He’s not ready to move divisions or chase potential superfights just yet, because he wants to build his 185-pound legacy to surpass that of the division’s greatest champion, Anderson Silva.
That means stacking up more title defenses, and Adesanya said he’s looking at the winner of the UFC 254 matchup on Oct. 24 between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier as his next foe.
“I think Jared’s going to dust Robert Whittaker and I look forward to fighting him,” Adesanya said. “I think he’s going to get it done. I’m rooting for him. But if Robert Whittaker wins and he wants to get knocked out a third time, I can make that happen, too.”
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The battle of undefeateds was a mismatch, as the middleweight champ improved to 20-0.
Not all undefeated records are created the same.
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] reminded us of this Saturday night when he disposed off [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] in a battle of the unbeatens in the main event of UFC 253.
The UFC middleweight champion simply mauled his Brazilian opponent, using vicious leg kicks to wear him down and then finish him with an enormous right hand to the temple.
The time of the TKO stoppage was the 3:59 mark of the second round, as Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) successfully defended his belt for the second time.
“Y’all must have forgot because of what happened last time,” said Adesanya, who won a fight over Yoel Romero some considered boring last time out.
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“The Last Stylebender” showed his intentions immediately, as he landed kicks to Costa’s lead leg from the outset. Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) put on a brave face and attempted to goad his opponent, putting his hands behind his back at one point, but Adesanya wasn’t having it.
By the second, Costa’s leg had swollen and he noticeably slowed. Adesanya continued picking him apart. He landed a head kick that opened a cut over Costa’s eyebrow, and finally, a wicked left hand to the temple dropped him. Hammerfists and elbows rained down until referee Jason Herzog waved things off.
The victory was the 15th in the career of Adesanya, who stated he wanted to face Jared Cannonier next, should Cannonier win an upcoming bout with Robert Whittaker.
The middleweight title bout was the UFC 253 main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 253 results include:
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These two title fights should be a lot of fun.
The UFC is back on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night with two title fights that have the potential to be some really darn good fights.
The co-main event is for the light-heavyweight belt, which Jon Jones owned for so long before giving it up to make the jump to heavyweight. Dominick Reyes, who lost to Jones in a close decision last February, takes on Jan Blachowicz in a fight that I’m guessing won’t go the distance.
The fun thing about this fight is that each fighter knows the opportunity that is sitting right there for them. With Jones now out of the picture, this division needs a new champion and a win here can do wonders for their careers. That’s why I don’t expect either of them to hold anything back and I’m predicting this thing will be over early. Reyes has nine first-round finishes in his professional career and Blachowicz has seven.
So who’s going to win? Reyes is the favorite and rightfully so, as many thought he should have been given the decision in his fight against Jones. Blachowicz is coming off three straight wins over Luke Rockhold (a former champ), Ronaldo Souza, and Corey Anderson (who he knocked out in the first round back in February).
Here’s who I like – Blachowicz in a second-round KO. I think they will be trading strikes early and often and I think the red-hot Blachowicz catches Reyes with one that gives him the belt.
Now we move on to the main event, which should be a doozy. The champ, Israel Adesanya, is a special talent who is must-see TV every time he enters the Octagon. We got burned by that, however, in his last fight as his win over Yoel Romero was a snoozer. Adesanya had to avoid the one-punch knockout power of Romero in that one, which was understandable, although disappointing.
But I think this one against Paulo Costa will be more like the war Adesanya had against Kelvin Gastelum, as both fighters have traded bad blood leading up to this title fight. I also think Adesanya will show us the incredible skills that were on display when he took the belt from Robert Whittaker with a second-round KO last year.
Costa has finishing power and his last fight was a classic against Romero where he showed he could take a lot of damage and also cause a lot of damage on his opponent, too
But I think Adesanya will be able to create enough space to limit Costa’s ability to do too much damage in this one.
I think Adesanya puts on a show in this one and wins with a fifth-round KO, as Costa has never fought in the championship rounds and things will become too much from him in the last round.
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Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa has clear historical significance, but ahead of UFC 253, should it be positioned as one of the best ever?
ABU DHABI – Saturday’s championship bout between UFC middleweight titleholder [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and top contender [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] has clear historical significance, but the bout’s position in terms of true impact on the sport’s chronicles may only be clear in retrospect.
Surprisingly, the UFC 253 headliner is just the second time in modern UFC history that two undefeated male fighters have squared off with a title on the line. The first such instance saw Lyoto Machida defeat Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title in May 2009.
“I love these kind of fights,” UFC president Dana White told MMA Junkie during a pre-fight press conference on Yas Beach. “When you have two of the baddest dudes in the world, undefeated, in their prime, facing off for the world title, nothing gets better than this.”
On paper, Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) do, indeed, make for a perfect pairing.
The reigning champion is one of the slickest strikers ever seen in the octagon, boasting a unique style built over a stellar kickboxing career that saw him rack up more than 75 professional wins. Adesanya’s attacks are precise, but his footwork, creativity, and mastery of range all contribute to make him a standup master.
Meanwhile, Costa is renowned for his power – a Brazilian bruiser capable of total devastation. But “Borrachinha” isn’t simply in pursuit of landing one big shot. In fact, his UFC career average of 8.43 strikes landed per minute is currently the highest mark on the roster.
“When you look at this fight stylistically, I pick this fight to be ‘Fight of the Year,'” White said.
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In terms of “can’t miss” fights, Adesanya vs. Costa fits. But is it, on paper, one of the greatest matchups in UFC middleweight history? Adesanya doesn’t think so, citing Costa’s limited pedigree as the culprit.
“Just his resume doesn’t hold up enough,” Adesanya said. “If you look at the guys he’s beat – he beat an over-the-hill Johny Hendricks; no offense, a former welterweight champion, that is. He beat Uriah Hall, who was actually doing quite well in that fight, one of his better performances. But then Uriah Hall just succumbed to his will because Uriah Hall sometimes breaks mentally. And he beat Yoel Romero, who’s on his way out, anyway.”
For what it’s worth, Costa actually seems to agree. The Brazilian powerhouse said it’s not really his place to try to suggest where this moment lies in promotional history.
“This is for you guys who work with this,” Costa said. “To me, I’m just a fighter. I don’t care if he’s undefeated or not. I go in there to do my work.”
It has been more than 11 years since two unbeaten fighters contested a UFC title, so Costa does admit that’s probably more than just a simple footnote.
“If I look for this angle, yeah, I think it will be a very rare moment,” Costa said.
Outside of Adesanya’s current reign, the biggest title fights in UFC middleweight history belong to future UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva.
In 2008, Silva welcomed reigning PRIDE titleholder and two-time Olympian Dan Henderson to the UFC in the only bout to ever feature current (at the time) undisputed champions from the rival promotions.
In 2010, “The Spider” ignited a massive rivalry with the infamous Chael Sonnen, leading to a pair of blockbuster battles that remain among the most financially successful contest ever contested at 185 pounds.
Silva’s 2011 battle with fellow MMA legend and countryman Vitor Belfort is widely credited with launching the current popularity boom of the sport in Brazil.
Ten years from now, will this matchup of undefeated athletes in Adesanya vs. Costa be discussed alongside those titanic clashes? Only time will tell.
Adesanya’s first UFC title fight, an April 2019 clash with Kelvin Gastelum, wasn’t necessarily one of the most anticipated contests of all time, but the incredible battle played out to in epic fashion and is easily one of the greatest fights in UFC history.
So whether Saturday’s main event turns out to be Adesanya’s latest title defense or the start of Costa’s reign as middleweight kingpin, the weight of the moment simply can’t be quantified by their career records right now.
Of course, it still seems like an awfully good reason to watch.
UFC 253 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa got one final look at each other ahead of Saturday’s middleweight title fight at UFC 253.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] got one final look at each other ahead of Saturday’s middleweight title fight at UFC 253.
After successfully make weight for the main event matchup, Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) participated in a staredown, which marks the end of the pre-fight build to the battle of unbeatens.
It was an intense face-to-face, with both needing to be separated after Costa, who was wearing a black belt around his waist, pulled out a white belt and threw it at Adesanya. It was an appropriate table-setter for just the second men’s title fight in UFC history featuring two undefeated athletes.
UFC 253 takes place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Watch the video of the Adesanya vs. Costa faceoff above.
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Dan Hardy breaks down the middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa ahead of fight night at UFC 253.
Two bonafide finishers will go head-to-head in the main event of UFC 253 with the UFC middleweight title – and their undefeated records – on the line.
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] will look to defend his status as the UFC’s premier 185-pound fighter when he lines up opposite Brazilian powerhouse [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] on “UFC Fight Island.”
Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has torn through the middleweight division to earn his shot at the gold. He reeled off four straight knockouts, then out-battled Yoel Romero in a three-round war to earn a title fight with Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who is looking to register his second straight title defense.
Ahead of their bout, former UFC welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy invites us into “The War Room,” as he takes a deep dive into the matchup and offers his technical pointers ahead of the fight. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.
UFC 253 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Check out the official weigh-ins for middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and challenger Paulo Costa before UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI – The main event title fight for Saturday night is set on “Fight Island.”
UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and fellow unbeaten challenger [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) made weight Friday ahead of their UFC 253 headliner.
Costa was 185 pounds, right on the championship limit. The champ, Adesanya, was a pound under at 184. Check out their trips to the scale in the video above.
UFC 253 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Ahead of UFC 253, MMA Junkie’s John Morgan was joined by The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis to preview the two title fights from all angles.
ABU DHABI – The UFC is officially back on “Fight Island” for a five-week stretch of events, which begins on Saturday with UFC 253.
A big-time championship doubleheader sits atop the card. Heated rivals [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) are set to clash for the middleweight belt in the main event, while [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) clash for the vacant light heavyweight strap.
UFC 253 takes at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
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Ahead of UFC 253, MMA Junkie’s John Morgan was joined by The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis as they previewed the two title fights from all angles.
Watch the preview show in the video above.
