Two bonafide finishers will go head-to-head in the main event of UFC 253 with the UFC middleweight title – and their undefeated records – on the line.
Israel Adesanya will look to defend his status as the UFC’s premier 185-pound fighter when he lines up opposite Brazilian powerhouse Paulo Costa on “UFC Fight Island.”
Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has torn through the middleweight division to earn his shot at the gold. He reeled off four straight knockouts, then out-battled Yoel Romero in a three-round war to earn a title fight with Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who is looking to register his second straight title defense.
Ahead of their bout, former UFC welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy invites us into “The War Room,” as he takes a deep dive into the matchup and offers his technical pointers ahead of the fight. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.
UFC 253 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
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