UFC 253 Adesanya vs Costa: Preview and Predictions
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Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya vs Paulo “The Eraser” Costa serves as the main event of the UFC 253. It is a treat for the MMA Universe, concluding who walks out undefeated from the Octagon on Saturday, September 26th. This one is a fight for the ages.
This should be a terrific tilt. Two unbeaten fighters in the prime of their careers face off with the middleweight title at stake. UFC odds have the current title-holder Israel Adesanya as a -168 favorite but oddsmakers aren’t counting out Costa with the challenger at +136.
Preview for UFC 253
The Last Stylebender, being the Middleweight Champion has an impeccable record of 19 wins and 0 losses in MMA. And would love to continue his winning streak at UFC 253. Adesanya comes off from a win against the former Olympian Yoel Romero, via unanimous decision and a successful title defense. With wins over every major middleweight in the roster like Kelvin Gastelum, the legend Anderson Silva and former champion Robert Whittaker, we got to watch out what the Nigerian has in store for us.
Paulo “The Eraser” Costa, just like his nickname has “erased” all the challenges that have been put in front of him. With 13 wins and 0 losses, it is safe to say that the Brazilian has earned his way to the top. The Brazilian comes from a background in BJJ but loves to mix it up on his feet and has tremendous power and explosiveness. With defeating major martial arts like Romero, Uriah Hall and Johnny Hendricks, Costa looks to erase one last challenger to earn the Middleweight Championship.
Costa made championship weight at 185lbs while Adesanya weighed in at 184lbs. The two met one last time before their match after the weigh-ins. Costa taunted the champion by showing off his black belt and giving him the white belt. Adesanya was not at all pleased with this and threw and hit the challenger with the belt. An altercation between the two was avoided as UFC president Dana White stepped up to avoid further damage.
With the bad blood boiling between the two for over a year, this match up would be interesting to watch.
Predictions for UFC 253 Adesanya vs Costa
Adesanya to win. With Costa’s explosiveness, Costa will be looking to close Adesanya’s massive eight-inch reach advantage and make things dirty. However, Adesanya has terrific footwork and head movement which makes him a difficult target to hit cleanly.
Adesanya does a great job at creating separation. He proved that despite his skinny frame, his technical striking and his precision are good enough to outclass the opponent.
While Adesanya’s fight against Romero might have been boring, it proved that he has the mental acumen to not get into a brawl with a more powerful opponent. Look for Adesanya to play matador to Costa’s bull, keep moving and strike at a distance, wearing Costa down. In the words of Conor McGregor, “Precision beats power. And timing beats speed.”
Also Read: UFC 253: Reyes vs Blachowicz, who leaves as the Light Heavyweight Champ? Preview and Prediction
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Jaskaran Singh Wahi
(106 Articles Published)