Israel Adesanya shows dominance against Paulo Costa to retain UFC belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

What’s next for Israel Adesanya after taking down all the top dogs in the UFC?

The Nigerian mixed martial artist proved to be too much for Paulo Costa after overwhelming the latter in just two rounds to retain his UFC middleweight belt.

After out-maneuvering Costa in the first round with tons of devastating leg kicks, Adesanya kept his foot in the gas and fought at a different pace to bust the Brazilian out at 2 minutes and 59 seconds of the second round.

The champion snuck through Costa’s guards and threw a punch then later backed-off, waited for the perfect timing after the opposition went in to throw a short stab then unleashed a quick left-hand counter that dropped the Brazilian.

Adesanya quickly pounced on Costa and unloaded heavy punches to force the referee to stop the fight.

“I told you he’s dumb. I’m smart. I understand this f***ing game. This was my 100th win in combat sports all around. I’m not a f***ing baby in this game. I’ve been in this sh** for a long time,” said Adesanya after his flawless victory.

With the emphatic win against the tagged best challenger for Adesanya, will he move up a weight and challenge the other champions?

“I think he’s gonna be the new Adesanya of the division. He’s got his own style and his own way about him. I think he’s gonna be the next big superstar here, especially after tonight’s performance,” said UFC president Dana White.