It's very rare in Mixed Martial Arts to see an undefeated fighter in the elite ranks. It's even weirder to see two of them fighting for the undisputed gold. UFC will fly back to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi to host the UFC 253. The first fight is maybe one of the best of the night.
UFC 253 will see the undefeated middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (19-0), defend his title against unbeaten challenger, Paulo Costa (13-0) in a highly-anticipated matchup.
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This bout has it all, undefeated records, bad blood between the fighters, and the undisputed gold on the line.
Here at Skybook, we love to see the octagon in action, so here is our tale of the tape for UFC 253. First of all, let's look at the actual Tale of the Tape:
| Israel Adesanya | Paulo Costa | |
|---|---|---|
| Tale of the tape | ||
|
Wins/Losses/Draws |
19-0-0 |
13-0-0 |
|
Average Fight Time |
15:53 |
7:17 |
|
Height |
6' 4" |
6' 1" |
|
Weight |
185 lbs. |
185 lbs. |
|
Reach |
80" |
72" |
|
Stance |
Switch |
Orthodox |
|
DOB |
Jul 22, 1989 |
Apr 21, 1991 |
| Striking (Significant Strikes) | ||
|
Strikes Landed per Min. (SLpM) |
3.96 |
8.43 |
|
Striking Accuracy |
48% |
57% |
|
Strikes Absorbed per Min. (SApM) |
2.40 |
6.84 |
|
Defense |
65% |
53% |
| Grappling | ||
|
Takedowns Average/15 min. |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Takedown Accuracy |
0% |
0% |
|
Takedown Defense |
86% |
80% |
|
Submission Average/15 min. |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Resumé
Adesanya holds the belt and has gone through the very best of the division, holding wins against names like Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Robert Whittaker, and Yoel Romero.
Costa brings an undefeated record as well and victories over former champion Johnny Hendricks, Uriah Hall, and Yoel Romero. Those are big names to have with only five fights inside the UFC.
Both have good wins in their columns, but this area belongs to the current champion, Israel Adesanya.
Striking
This is a tough one to rank. Both are elite strikers with very contrasting styles. Paulo Costa is a move-forward relentless, powerful puncher, he never stops throwing blows with KO power, proof of that is his 92% KO ratio. Costa has finished four of his five fights in the UFC and has a stunning mark of 8.83 significant strikes per minute.
Adesanya is more precise, more technical, although less powerful. He has the kicking and reach advantage as well. Adesanya is a counter striker, he gives you time to attack him and then explodes with precision to put opponents out.
This one really depends on what style you prefer, but I'll also take Adesanya just by a hair in this one.
Grappling
Let's be realistic here; the fight will be an all-out brawl, both standing up, and if one fighter hits the mat is because he got knocked out.
However, this is MMA, and you never know. 'Borrachinha' has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one submission win inside the cage. He just rather punch his opponent into oblivion than going into the ground department.
Adesanya has an excellent 86% takedown defense, but we haven't seen him go to the ground much, and why would he anyway? Adesanya uses defensive grappling rather than offensive moves.
Even though I don't think it will be a factor, this one goes to Costa.
Cardio
So this is a weird one to rank. Paulo Costa has never been in a five rounds fight, and even though he wants to finish Adesanya, you have to take into consideration championship rounds.
Costa was visibly tired in his bout with Romero, which ended in a decision win in three rounds. However, that was a brutal war from start to finish, and he was still moving forward.
Adesanya has gone the five rounds distance three times now, so he knows how to manage himself during championship rounds. Actually, he finished very strongly in his fight of the year with Kelvin Gastelum.
This one goes to the champ, Adesanya.
Power
When we talk about pure and raw power, Paulo Costa is second to none. Costa could easily make the jump to 205 whenever he wants to and still be a KO artist in that division, that's how strong this guy is.
If you have 11 KO wins in 13 fights, and they call you 'The Eraser,' it's pretty self-explanatory how destructive you are when the cage is locked.
While Adesanya can put opponents to sleep, the reality is he uses the rival's momentum to counter into finishes. Don't get me wrong, Adesanya has more power than he is credited for, but he is a skilled striker more than a devastating one.
This round goes to Paulo Costa.
Conclusion
As you can see, this is a close fight between two killers in the business. The rightful battle for the 185 throne will take place at Fight Island on ESPN+.
While Adesanya is more prolific, you can't discount Costa's power, this fight won't touch the grappling department and will probably be a fight of the year contender. Check the whole UFC 253 slate here at Skybook and, as Bruce Buffer said, "IT'S TIME" for these two to settle their beef and for us to enjoy it!
Current odds for this fight are Israel Adesanya -175, Paulo Costa +145, and O2½-150, U2½+120. Bet on the UFC at Skybook, register now!