Israel Adesanya rolls in easy 185-pound title defense at UFC 253
In what can be best described as a dominant performance, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defeated rival Paulo Costa via second round TKO at Saturday’s UFC 253.
With the win, Adesanya remains undefeated at 20-0 and 9-0 in the UFC. This was the second defense of the undisputed title he won nearly a year ago with a win over Robert Whittaker.
Adesanya was in control from start to finish, attacking Costa’s lead leg with kicks. That eventually opened Costa up to Adesanya’s punches, especially a stiff jab. The champion landed a left high kick that cut Costa open, but it was a left hook that marked the beginning of the end. Costa dropped and Adesanya got in full mount, dropping heavy hands and elbows that resulted in the stoppage.
This is the first loss for the 29-year-old Costa (13-1).
In his post-fight interview, Adesanya said he would like to face Jared Cannonier if he can defeat the aforementioned Whittaker at next month’s UFC 254.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.