"Oh okay, that's how he could beat Adesanya". - Dan Hardy on what Luke Rockhold could show against Paulo Costa to convince people that he can beat 'Stylebender'
Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy has opined on how Luke Rockhold can get people to believe that he can get the better of Israel Adesanya in a fight.
Rockhold is set to face Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 278 on August 20. In a recent interview with 'Submission Radio', Hardy weighed in on the matchup.
'The Outlaw' said that if the former middleweight champion finishes 'Borrachinha' via submission, then he might have a chance at defeating Adesanya.
"If Rockhold comes out against Costa and you know, he looks good, he looks confident, especially if he takes him down and dominates him on the floor and submits him, then I'm going, 'Oh okay, that's how he could beat Adesanya.' But right now, in the striking range, Adesanya's still running circles around him," said Dan Hardy.
You can watch Dan Hardy's full interview with 'Submission Radio' below:
Rockhold has been out of action for a long time. The 37-year-old's fight against Costa will mark his first UFC outing in over three years.
Israel Adesanya has advice for Luke Rockhold ahead of his fight against Paulo Costa
In a recently uploaded video to his YouTube channel, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, along with Tyson Pedro, broke down the UFC 278 card. At one point, the New Zealander also opined on Luke Rockhold vs. Paulo Costa.
Speaking about the middleweight co-main event, 'The Last Stylebender' advised Rockhold to use his wrestling skills to tire the Brazilian out.
"Luke, if he can wrestle him and get him tired, wear those muscles out. Luke, try to wrestle him straight away. Do what I did, teep his legs, establish leg kicks a little bit, but start wrestling straight away and make him tired, make him second guess. Make him think he can be taken down or there's a threat of being taken down."
Watch Israel Adesanya break down UFC 278 below:
Adesanya's advice might come in handy for Rockhold as the middleweight king was the first person to defeat 'Borrachinha' in an MMA contest.
Adesanya and Costa fought at UFC 253 for the middleweight title. 'The Last Stylebender' put on a masterclass performance and finished the Brazilian via TKO in the second round.