Leading into his fight against Paulo Costa, people had their reservations about Adesanya’s status as champion. Following a lackluster match with Yoel Romero, the knocks against the Nigerian born striker began to pile.
-Too skinny.
-He wasn’t ready for a war.
-Costa applies too much pressure.
They were wrong.
Adesanya landed a barrage of leg kicks, stiff jabs, a swift head kick, all while avoiding the significant strikes from Costa.
The 31-year-old Adesanya finished the Brazillian contender in under two rounds, and did so with ease.
Following his spectacular finish over Paulo Costa at UFC 253, Israel Adesanya had his next opponent in mind. During his post-fight comments, he respectfully asked to fight Jared Cannonier, IF “The Killa Gorilla” was able to defeat Robert Whittaker.