September 28 ------ Reigning UFC middleweight world champion Israel Adesanya has successfully defended his title following a second-round technical knockout win over Paulo Costa this Sunday in the main event of UFC 253 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
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Adesanya threw leg kicks that found its mark in the early going of the contest while Costa took the middle of the octagon but was unable to land significant strikes. Adesanya did well in keeping the challenger at bay with his crisp jab and precise leg kicks. Costa repeatedly taunted Adesanya in the opening round in an attempt to lure him to trade but the latter was patient and he refused to bite the bait.
Costa's left leg was swelling in round two due to the accumulated leg kicks he absorbed while a head kick had cut him open. Left open for the taking after missing a punch, Adesanya made Costa pay with a left hook that dropped him as the champ went for a finish with ground and pound. The fight ended at the 3:59 mark of round two as Adesanya, with barely a scratch on his face, made his second successful title defense. He improved his perfect record to 19-0 while Costa tasted defeat for the first time as he fell to 13-1.
In the co-main event, Jan Bachowicz leaned on his striking to overcome Dominick Reyes. B?achowicz landed hard strikes throughout the contest en route to a second-round technical knockout victory to capture the vacant UFC light heavyweight world title.
Source: gmanetwork.com/news/sports