Israel Adesanya predicts Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa ahead of UFC 302: “It’ll be interesting"
Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa are set to go to war in the co-main event of UFC 302 on June 1. While both men are skilled grapplers, they seldom employ their ground game during fights, and fans can expect a striking war on the night.
'Tarzan' will enter the clash with a cardio advantage, having been known to push the pace against his opponents while peppering them with his sharp jab. On the other hand, Costa will hold the power advantage, and one clean punch or kick could change the course of the fight in favor of 'Borrachinha'.
Ahead of their middleweight clash, Israel Adesanya, a former opponent of both fighters, shared his thoughts on the UFC 302 co-main event.
He said this:
"It'll be interesting, I think it's just gonna be on the feet, kickboxing, boxing. Costa might get jabbed the f**k out in this one. He's definitely going to get tired, and Strickland is going to take advantage of that. Costa to win, what would Costa have to do? Be aggressive, use body kicks, also use his jab. Even if he might not land some of them, go jab-for-jab with Strickland. Also, mix up the grappling, just to get [Strickland] tired as well."
He continued:
"Strickland, do what he does. Pressure, use his jab, I think front kicks will be a problem for Costa, dealing with them... Costa is more dynamic... I'ma pick Strickland in this fight. I'm going to say it's going the distance, he's not going to finish him."
Watch Adesanya break down Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa below from 3:45:
Sean Strickland slams the new UFC glove design
The UFC recently announced a new glove design that hopes to reduce cuts and, more importantly, eye pokes in the octagon. The gloves will be debuted at UFC 302 this weekend.
However, Sean Strickland says the new design is worse than the previous one. The former middleweight champion appeared in front of the media ahead of his clash with Paulo Costa. He was asked to share his thoughts on the new glove design, and said this:
"Yeah, they suck, dude. Can we talk to the person who designed these gloves? Have you ever been in a fight in your f***ing life? It's like, you get these f***ing dorks that have no idea, like, it sounds like a good idea."
Watch Sean Strickland's interview below from 4:08: