UFC 259: Paulo Costa doesn't see Israel Adesanya as the favorite over Jan Blachowicz
Paulo Costa has opted not to put Israel Adesanya as the favorite over Jan Blachowicz for their upcoming light heavyweight title fight at UFC 259 on March 4.
Israel Adesanya will attempt to capture a second belt in the UFC, as he currently holds the middleweight gold. "Izzy" defended his 185 lb title against Costa in 2020, winning the bout via a second-round knockout.
Speaking on a video posted to his YouTube channel, Costa preferred not to give a definitive answer on whom he considers to have more chance of winning the light heavyweight bout at UFC 259 next weekend.
"It's hard to say. It is another weight class. I would have to know how each of them is doing in training to be able to pick a winner. Everything I say here will be mere speculation. And another thing: whoever says something like, 'ah, I know who is going to win,' is lying. You can never know. If people knew who was going to win, there would be no betting. If it was like that, gambling companies would go bankrupt. [But] if Israel Adesanya manages to keep the distance and moves around a lot, making Jan [Blachowicz] tired, Adesanya might win. But if Blachowicz lands a punch or takes Adesanya down, I believe he wins."
Israel Adesanya won the middleweight title against Robert Whittaker and defended it twice. He holds a clean mixed martial arts record of 20-0. Meanwhile, it will be Blachowicz's first title defense. The Polish light heavyweight champion defeated Dominick Reyes to claim the vacant 205 lb belt.
Israel Adesanya believes his speed will be a big factor against Jan Blachowicz
In a recent press conference, Israel Adesanya affirmed that his biggest advantage against heavier opponents is his speed. While "The Last Stylebender" acknowledges that he is exposed to the risk of their strength, he thinks it is not a problem if they can't hit him.
"Yeah, definitely, you feel a difference in the power when some glancing shots [land], or when they hit you on the arm. But also, you feel the difference in speed. They're a lot slower. They're a lot more – They take a little while to get to their target; put it that way. Yeah, the pace is a lot different at that weight, and it's fun for me."
Do you think Israel Adesanya will defeat Jan Blachowicz? Sound off in the comments.