Israel Adesanya had his eye on the UFC 302 bout between former rivals Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa.
Last Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) defeated Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by split decision in the five-round co-main event, a result Adesanya accurately predicted.
Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC), the only fighter to finish Costa, pointed out flaws in the Brazilian's fight that he said ultimately cost Strickland the victory.
“Costa's bad with his back foot. He's not very good with his back foot,” Adesanya responded on his YouTube channel. “He's on a roll in this fight. Costa could put him at a real disadvantage here because (Strickland) is very worried about his foot.”
Adesanya most recently lost his middleweight title to Strickland at UFC 293. Strickland blamed Costa for the disappointing bout, which was booed by the crowd, but Adesanya said Strickland is a tougher opponent than people think.
“I know (standing your ground against Strickland) is easier said than done,” Adesanya said, “but if you're working at it, you'll figure out how to do it.”
Strickland lost his middleweight title to Dorricus du Plessis at UFC 297 but is back in action against Costa, with Adesanya expected to be du Plessis' next title challenger.
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with fellow mixed martial arts fans.
