Dan Hardy thinks that Israel Adesanya and 2 other top Middleweights will make Paulo Costa look "silly" in the Octagon

Dan Hardy doesn't seem to be a big fan of the next UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Paulo Costa. The Brazilian Paulo Costa, who is set to face Israel Adesanya at UFC 253, remains undefeated inside the Octagon and earned a title shot after defeating Yoel Romero in a classic 3-round fight at UFC 241.

Speaking on BT Sports’ Open Mat (H/T BJPENN.com), Dan Hardy assessed Paulo Costa's chances against Israel Adesanya and other top Middleweight contenders. He said that Paulo Costa won't fare well against Israel Adesanya, Darren Till, and Robert Whittaker:

“I’ll be honest, as dangerous as Paulo Costa is? I think he’s just a more reckless striking version than Yoel Romero. I don’t think he poses the same kind of problems to any of these guys. I mean, of course, if he catches you it’s the if bomb."

He compared Paulo Costa to Derrick Lewis and said that the three top Middleweights can make him look like a "powerlifter":

“It’s like fighting Derrick Lewis, you know? If he catches you, he’s gonna knock you out. If he doesn’t catch you, you can probably make him look quite silly with your skills and technique. And I think all three of these guys have got the skills and ability to make Paulo Costa look like a powerlifter, which is really what he is in comparison to these martial artists.”

Is Dan Hardy being too harsh on Paulo Costa?

Paulo Costa is 5-0 in the UFC, four of which have been finishes. His last three wins include the likes of Johnny Hendricks, Uriah Hall, and most recently, Yoel Romero. One could argue that Dan Hardy is being a bit too harsh on Paulo Costa, but the reality is that we haven't seen him in a five-round fight yet.

Given how Paulo Costa started to gas out by the third round in the Romero fight, it's not an unfair assumption to make.

Either way, we'll get our answer this September when he faces Israel Adesanya in the next blockbuster title fight on Fight Island.