Henry Cejudo shares thoughts on Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa, warns 'Borrachinha' against engaging in striking battle with 'Tarzan'
Henry Cejudo recently discussed Paulo Costa's upcoming fight against Sean Strickland. Cejudo warned Costa to be cautious while engaging in a striking battle with Strickland.
Costa and Strickland verbally agreed to square off on social media. The Brazilian previously stated that Strickland declined an offer to fight at UFC 302. However, 'Tarzan' then revealed that he was seeking a pay increase for the potential fight. After consulting with the promotion, Strickland stated on X that his concerns had been handled.
UFC CEO Dana White made the official announcement of UFC 302 in front of the media after UFC 300 concluded. Paulo Costa will face the No. 1-ranked middleweight contender in his second fight of the year. The two will compete in a five-round bout on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo expressed his thoughts on Costa vs. Strickland fight. The former UFC bantamweight champion is skeptical of Costa's chances against Strickland if the bout continues on foot. He said:
''He [Costa] still hasn’t learned his lesson man and if he does just decide to strike with a guy like Sean Strickland, Strickland’s got better striking in my opinion.''
Cejudo added:
''And trust me, dude, I’m boys with Paulo. Paulo stayed at my house. Tamara, they love my kid, but Jesus man, if he just decides to strike, I’ve got to go with Strickland.”
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (54:03):
Costa has lost three of his last five fights. He is coming off a unanimous decision defeat against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298.
Meanwhile, in his last octagon appearance at UFC 297, Strickland lost his middleweight title to Dricus du Plessis via split decision.
Paulo Costa appoints two Olympic boxers for his matchup with Sean Strickland
Paulo Costa brought in two former Olympic boxers for his training camp, suggesting that he is trying to get better at stand-up. It appears that he is anticipating a striking match against Sean Strickland at UFC 302 this Saturday.
During the UFC 302 Countdown episode for the co-main event, the Brazilian detailed why he enlisted the help of former Olympians Kelson Pinto and Edvaldo 'Badola' Gonzaga.
''I was killing myself while I trained, and he [Kelson Pinto] taught me how to be more efficient...So we are just trying to mix the styles [of Pinto and Gonzaga] to get the best point of each one...Sean [Strickland] knows how to fight that style. He has a very good jab, he moves forward, he knows how to fight in his very particular stance."
Check out Paulo Costa's comments below (11:52):