UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa Is One Of The Most Anticipated Fights Of The Year

MMA fans worldwide are raving about the upcoming middleweight title fight taking place at UFC 253: Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa. To say that this is one of the most anticipated fights of the year is an understatement.

The tension between the two fighters grew most notably after UFC 243, after Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker to capture the middleweight championship. Immediately after the victory, Adesanya scaled the cage and sat atop of the octagon edge, flipping Costa off with double birds. The camera panned to Paulo Costa who was sitting ringside. Costa looked visually bothered by the gesture and looked as if he would storm the cage. This was just one of many jabs that the two would take at each other since that time.

One of the reasons that Adesanya’s gesture lit up the fight world at that time is because Paulo Costa is one of the most intimidating figures not only in the middleweight division, but in all of MMA. Costa is a terrifyingly aggressive fighter, who’s style is to come forward and smash anyone standing in his way.

With a current record of 13-0, Paulo has destroyed every fighter they put in front of him by knockout except for Yoel Romero, whom he beat by decision at UFC 241, & Eduardo Ramon, who he finished by submission at Jungle Fight 87. Watching his UFC highlight reel, Costa’s brutal KO’s of Johnny Hendricks(UFC 217), Uriah Hall(UFC 226), and Oluwale Bamgbose(UFC 212) were enough to send shivers down the spines of fighters and fans worldwide.

While Yoel Romero may be a formidable opponent and highly feared by many, Paulo Costa saw it a completely different way. At UFC 241, Costa not only showed no fear of Romero, but he came forward with the same crushing style and at times put Yoel in survival mode.

It was performances like those that made Costa a standout, and as many fans see it, Paulo is the biggest threat to Adesanya’s reign as UFC champion. Meanwhile, on the other side, Adesanya is also undefeated in MMA with a record of 19-0. The style differences between Adesanya and Costa is like night and day, with Costa being a reckless, wrecking machine who aggressively comes forward with heavy strikes while Adesanya is a calculated sniper who thrives on counterstriking and slick, defensive evasion.

In less than 2 years, Adesanya rose to the top of the middleweight division and the MMA world to become the UFC’s new champion. With a mix of crisp striking, comparisons to former champ Anderson Silva, entertaining ring entrances, and a brash personality that oozes during every interview, Israel has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars. To date, his biggest challenge was at UFC 236 when he faced off against Kelvin Gastelum for the interim middleweight belt. The fight was a war that had back and forth action between the two, with moments that had Adesanya rocked. The fight ultimately went to a decision, with Adesanya getting the nod.

While Israel’s stock rose in the fight against Gastelum, it would soon take a tumble after UFC 248: Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero. It was a lackluster affair that many MMA fans and fighters disapproved of. Romero chose not to engage and offered very little of an offensive threat to Israel. There were brief moments of action during the fight, but nothing that rivaled the war of Paulo Costa vs. Yoel Romero.

With UFC 253, fight action is not a concern for MMA fans. The only real questions that have been posed by many are, can Adesanya stand up to the ridiculous pressure and aggression put on by Paulo Costa, and does Adesanya have the power to put Costa away decisively?

Those questions, along with trash talk between both fighters on ESPN & YouTube has led to the buildup that makes this main event one of the biggest fights of 2020. Will it live up to the hype? That remains to be seen. If Adesanya can beat Costa in impressive fashion, Izzy will be on his way to legendary status. If Costa wins, many will say “I told you so”. You have two undefeated fighters, who are formidable in their own ways, dynamic strikers with opposite styles, heading for a collision course September 26th on Fight Island. Whether you’re an Israel Adesanya or Paulo Costa fan, your thirst will finally be quenched at UFC 253.