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Before UFC 253, Paulo Costa was known as the most terrifying force in the middleweight division. Undefeated and looking chiseled out of rock, Costa would push forward against all opponents with a pace and pressure that most couldn’t handle.
The UFC’s top middleweight contender was thought to be the only middleweight who could give Israel Adesanya some trouble. The idea was that Costa’s style and pressure could disrupt champion Adesanya’s brilliant distance controlled strike.
UFC President Dana White has been preparing for this fight all summer, calling it a candidate for fight of the year. It was supposed to be a true bull vs. matador showdown at UFC 253. However, the actual result was anything but what the build said it would be.
Everyone expected Costa to carry on as he always does, but he seemed to be frozen in time. Outside mocking Adesanya, but lighting up in the process. The lack of aggression and play in the hands of Adesanya led to him being eliminated in the second round.
I’ll be the first to admit that I bought myself with the Paulo Costa UFC hype. Costa looked like a monster, and I thought his pressure and ability to mix his shots would give Adesanya trouble. I and many others were completely wrong. So what happened?
What went wrong at UFC 253
As mentioned, Costa has a style that is based on breaking his opponents with his pressure. As the fighters try to get away from the force of the hurricane it brings, it usually traps their opponents. This is how he got a perfect record before UFC 253.
Something went wrong as soon as the fight started on Saturday night. Costa came out extremely relaxed with virtually no sense of urgency. This was not the Paulo Costa that UFC fans have known in recent years. It was disconcerting to see how it played out live.
Adesanya started working with violent kicks early and Costa did nothing. Costa threw some good kicks throughout, but it was all Adesanya. Costa finished with a flurry and suffered the first loss of his professional and UFC career.
I think the five-round factor really scared Costa. Costa almost lost his last fight against Yoel Romero because he sold out after his fast start. Costa was hitting Romero, but as the fight progressed, Costa started to really fade.
I think there was a huge concern that if it faded badly at UFC 253 it would end. I think Costa didn’t think Adesanya could hit him off with strikes while he wasn’t tired. This assumption cost Costa dearly.
Now, Costa will have to go back to the drawing board. I suggested a possible fight with Derek Brunson below to try and get him back on track. Costa will be back and he’s too talented not to get another chance one day. However, on Saturday night it was found that Costa was not in the same league as Israel Adesanya.
