Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa Reportedly Set for UFC 253 on Sept. 19
Jul 18, 2020
Nigeria's Israel Adesanya poses as he fights Brazil's Anderson Silva in their middleweight bout at the UFC 234 event in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face Paulo Costa at UFC 253, per Combate.
Ariel Helwani of ESPN confirmed the report and said that a location is to be determined for the fight, which is slated for Sept. 19.
Adesanya holds a perfect 19-0 record (8-0 UFC). Fourteen of his wins have come via knockout. His most recent fight occurred at UFC 248 in March against Yoel Romero, which ended with a unanimous-decision win.
The fourth-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in UFC's rankings will take on the No. 2 middleweight contender in Costa, who is also undefeated (13-0) and coming off a unanimous-decision win over Romero.
Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie confirmed that both fighters' camps have agreed to a fight.
The UFC 253 card will include bouts between Mackenzie Dern and Randa Markos, Hakeem Dawodu and Zubaira Tukhugov and Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane, per Bohn.
But the main event should have plenty of fireworks, and the lead-in might be epic. As Helwani noted, the two have exchanged a "war of words" since last year.
Of note, Costa's manager, Wallid Ismail, told Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com that Adesanya had rejected fights against Costa for UFC 251 and 252.
"UFC offered Adesanya to fight on July 11 and August 15 and Adesanya declined both times," Ismail said. His coach claims Adesanya hasn't gotten an offer which is not true. We have proof."
The two fighters will be facing off in two months, however, as one of the more anticipated MMA matchups of the year is set to take place.
UFC News: Mike Perry Calls out Nate Diaz, Geoff Neal Eyes Tyron Woodley, More
Alex Ballentine
Jul 2, 2020
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 27: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Mike Perry punches Mickey Gall in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 27, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
'Tis the season for shooting your shot in the welterweight division apparently, and both Mike Perry and Geoff Neal called theirs this week in an attempt to book big fights.
Both 170-pounders fought one another in December when Neal defeated Platinum in the first round. Neal hasn't fought since, but Perry got back on the winning track in a win over Mickey Gall on June 27, with just his girlfriend in his corner and without formally training with a team.
Perry now has his sights set on much bigger fare. He has made his name as an action fighter who isn't afraid to throw down and put on entertaining bouts. So he took the opportunity to make a case for a fighter with a similar reputation in Nate Diaz.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani of ESPN, the 28-year-old broke down a potential fight between him and one of Stockton's finest.
"I think he's a skinny, weak, little (expletive), like Mickey Gall,” Perry said (h/t Nolan King of MMA Junkie). "I respect what he's done in this sport. He plays the guard game, jiu-jitsu, and (expletive). He thinks he can box with (those) little weak-ass punches that he's got—little salt and pepper punches. He doesn’t stand a chance to hit me hard enough."
Platinum has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, but actually getting booked for a fight against Diaz would be the biggest coup of his career. Perry's reputation has been built on his aggressive style and entertaining fights, but he's still just 3-5 in his last eight fights.
Diaz, 35, has been at least semi-retired for a while now. He has only fought twice since his loss to Conor McGregor in August 2016. He was reportedly paid $520,000 for his appearance against Jorge Masvidal in their "BMF" title fight in November.
The UFC would be unlikely to pay him that kind of money to fight someone of Perry's caliber. Diaz has only come out of "retirement" to fight the likes of Masvidal and Anthony Pettis. So while it's easy to dismiss the notion of this fight, you can't blame Perry for trying to make something happen.
Geoff Neal Wants Tyron Woodley
While Perry moved on from his loss to Neal and got a win, the man who won that fight is still without an opponent.
The 29-year-old is in one of those positions that can be difficult to navigate. At a perfect 5-0 in the UFC, he's beginning to prove himself against the lower tiers of the division and is dangerous, but there isn't much in it for the top names to book a fight against him.
He's No. 10 in the division but doesn't have the name recognition right now to be worth the risk for those ranked ahead of him. The situation is getting frustrating, and he had a few specific names in mind when he spoke to MMA Junkie Radio.
"I really just want to fight Chiesa because he's been ignoring me," Neal said, in reference to the No. 8-ranked Michael Chiesa. "Like, at first it was just I want to fight him just to fight him, but now I want to fight him because I feel like he's being a (expletive). I want that Chiesa fight just off personal (expletive) because he's acting like I'm invisible to him. I've been calling him out for (expletive) months."
Personal beef with Chiesa aside, Neal also called out a much bigger name: Tyron Woodley.
"Woodley said something that he's looking for a fight," he added. "I'm down. Hopefully he'll accept that."
The former champion is coming off back-to-back losses as Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns both deflated his stock in the division. For him, fighting someone like Neal would be a step down the rankings but also a step down in quality opponents.
For Neal, it would obviously be a huge opportunity but also a good test of his skills. He has yet to be taken down in the UFC and Woodley would put that streak to the test. He's far and away the best wrestler Neal would have seen.
A win over Woodley would launch him into the top tier of the division, so it's easy to see why he would throw his name out there when talking about his future.
Coach Excited About Potential Costa vs. Adesanya Ultimate Fighter
It's been nearly three years since we've seen a season of The Ultimate Fighter and that's probably for the best. After 28 seasons in 13 years, there was definitely TUF fatigue that necessitated some time off.
There's at least one person who is ready for the show's comeback, though. Paulo Costa's coach, Eric Albarracin, made an appearance on MMA Junkie Radio to talk about his fighter's potential role as a coach opposite Israel Adesanya for a new season of the show that would culminate in the two fighting for Adesanya's middleweight title.
"That's gonna be the greatest 'Ultimate Fighter' in history, if not the greatest middleweight title fight in history," Albarracin said.
Not only are both fighters elite middleweights at the top of their game but they have also taken some jabs at each other. Adesanya has become known for being especially quick-witted when it comes to his trash-talking game. All of which Albarracin believes will contribute to a great season of the show:
“He called him Ricky Martin in Australia and I always say, 'Yeah, he looks like Ricky Martin but he hits like Mike Tyson.' I can't wait to see these guys (coach) a whole season. Who's not gonna want to watch that? These guys at each other's throats. By the end of the season, it's gonna be a level-10 type of intensity between those guys."
If the promotion is going to attempt to revive the show, it would be hard-pressed to find a better pairing of coaches. While no announcement has been made that will be the case it's telling that the coach is already making the media rounds and hyping up the possibility.
Regardless of whether it comes to fruition, a Costa-Adesanya matchup is one of the best fights the UFC can make right now. A TUF buildup would only make that matchup even more tantalizing.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 17: Stipe Miocic celebrates his TKO victory over Daniel Cormier in their heavyweight championship bout during the UFC 241 event at the Honda Center on August 17, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Stipe Miocic is once again heavyweight champion after shocking Daniel Cormier with a fourth-round knockout to win back the title and close out UFC 241.
It appeared for a while that victory would elude Miocic as Cormier had the Clevelander figured out in the early going. He slammed him to the mat in the first round and established the early lead that carried through the first three rounds.
While the challenger kept answering back, Cormier was the aggressor and controlled the pace of the fight.
The tide started to turn in the third round, though. Miocic began firing back and even landed a takedown of his own.
The adjustments would keep coming as he started going to the body with ripping left hooks. Ultimately, the body blows set up the massive right hands that put Cormier on the mat and earned Miocic a stoppage victory in the fourth round.
For Miocic, it was another accomplishment that put him in rare company:
.@StipeMiocic is the 4th fighter in @UFC history to recapture the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship (Couture, Sylvia, Velasquez). #UFC241
For Cormier, it adds questions to what his future plans are. The now-former champion has talked about retirement before, but was non-committal about it after the fight:
"I need to speak to my wife and we need to make an educated decision on what I need to do." - Daniel Cormier on retirement. #UFC241
It was a fittingly action-packed end to what was a strong night of fights. The card featured plenty of action as Nate Diaz returned in a vintage performance, Paulo Costa took a huge step forward and Derek Brunson delivered a strong showing.
Main card
Stipe Miocic defeats Daniel Cormier via fourth-round TKO (4:09)
Nate Diaz defeats Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
Paulo Costa defeats Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Sodiq Yusuff defeats Gabriel Benitez via first-round TKO (4:14)
Derek Brunson defeats Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Undercard
Khama Worthy defeats Devonte Smith via first-round TKO (4:15)
Kyung Ho Kang defeats Brandon Davis via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Sabina Mazo defeats Shana Dobson via unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25 x2)
Nate Diaz vs. Anthony Pettis
For the first time in three years, Nate Diaz took to the Octagon and it didn't look like he missed a beat.
Diaz showcased his typical pace and volume approach, drowning Anthony Pettis in a deluge of punches, elbows and kicks in both the stand-up and the clinch over the course of three rounds. Showtime was able to answer with counters early, but his output waned as the fight wore on.
Diaz's ability to come back as good as ever was impressive. As Mike Chiappetta noted, plenty of things have happened since he last fought:
Things that have occurred since Nate Diaz's last fight: -121 UFC events have taken place -11 of the 12 UFC championships have changed hands at least once -GSP unretired, won UFC MW title, retired again -Donald Cerrone fought 10 times -Over 200 fighters made their UFC debuts
The win sets the stage for a big fight for Diaz in the near future. After missing the last three years, he should be looking for a big-money fight. A third fight with Conor McGregor would make sense or a fight with the red-hot Jorge Masvidal, who Diaz called out following his win.
Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa
The middleweight bout between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa was one of the most highly anticipated fights on the card and it didn't disappoint as The Eraser took a hard-fought decision over The Soldier of God.
From the outset, it was clear that both of the hulking 185ers were looking for a knockout:
Costa took the first round with his aggression and work to the body. While Romero appeared to be pacing himself, the Brazilian raced to the early lead.
Costa got the opportunity to show off his toughness in the second round as the Cuban started landing early and often before Costa rallied to take the third round on the scorecards.
This was one of those bouts where the fans were big winners. While it was a middleweight fight, it had all the trappings of a heavyweight slugfest, and it was a wonder that both were still standing when it was all over.
Costa remains undefeated but was pushed to a decision for the first time in his professional career. Given Romero's only other losses in the last eight years have come against champion Robert Whittaker, it's hard to argue that Costa doesn't have a good case for a title shot in the near future.
Gabriel Benitez vs. Sodiq Yusuff
It wasn't a good start for Dana White's Contender Series alumni until Sodiq Yusuff acquitted his prospect status quite nicely with a first-round knockout of Gabriel Benitez.
Yusuff, who is already 3-0 in the Octagon, showed a lot as a potential threat in the division. Benitez rocked Yusuff in the early going with a head kick, testing Yusuff's mettle and chin. As it turns out, he has plenty of both to go with plus-power.
The Nigerian came back in a big way with a right hand that buckled his opponent. He showed killer instinct ending the fight with follow up hammer fists. Pundits were impressed by his moxie:
A lot of living packed into just a shade under one round there. Credit to Yusuff for staying calm and getting the finish.
As Luke Thomas notes, Yusuff is the just the latest of Nigerian talent in the UFC.
A card with Adesanya, Yusuff and Usman on it would be something. In Lagos? A place with Nigerian diaspora? I'm not sure, but these guys are asserting themselves in a major way. Giving back to the place that birthed them feels right.
With a win on a UFC pay-per-view card now under his belt, Yusuff is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Derek Brunson vs. Ian Heinisch
Ian Heinisch faced a step up in competition when he kicked off the main card against Derek Brunson. Brunson proved too much for the Dana White's Contender Series alumnus.
Heinisch, whose UFC wins have come by decision, came out looking to make a statement early:
However, that early onslaught spelled cardio problems later as Brunson showcased some veteran savvy in taking over the fight in the second round.
Brunson was able to find his range and clearly outbox Heinisch in both the second and third rounds en route to the decision victory.
Brunson has earned a reputation as a gatekeeper in the middleweight division, but his ability to pace himself and earn a come-from-behind decision is an interesting development. He's now won two decisions in a row when he previously had two decision wins in 14 fights.
Would it be a victory lap or a detour to a rubber match? A lot of the talk before UFC 241 —non-Nate Diaz division, that is—centered on whether heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier would retire after his Saturday rematch with Stipe Miocic...
Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa Fight Reportedly Finalized for UFC 241 in August
May 7, 2019
Yoel Romero fights Robert Whittaker in a middleweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 213, Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The card for UFC 241 in August is starting to fill up with a middleweight showdown reportedly set to take place on the show.
Per ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa have verbally agreed to fight at the Aug. 17 event.
If Romero and Costa officially finalize terms for a fight, it will be the fourth time since November 2018 they are expected to clash.
The fight has been scrapped each of the past three times. The first instance came last August when Romeropulled out of a bout scheduled for UFC 230 while recovering from a broken orbital bone.
ESPN.com'sBrett Okamoto previously reported UFC was targeting the bout for April after the two sides couldn't agree to terms for the Jan. 19 UFC Fight Night event.
Romero was scheduled to fight Ronaldo Souza at UFC Fight Night on April 27 before beingforced to withdrawdue to an illness.
Assuming both fighters make it to the Aug. 17 pay-per-view, they will have both been out of action for more than one year. Romero lost his last fight to Robert Whittaker at UFC 225 in June 2018. Costa defeated Uriah Hall via second-round TKO in July 2018 at UFC 226.
UFC 241 will be headlined by a heavyweight championship fight between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic.
