Pre-fight analysis: Adesanya v.Romero – Taking a look into, and analyzing the upcoming Superfight!

BY MARCEL MARIAK

While the UFC hosts a fight event every weekend, sometimes fight enthusiasts have the rare opportunity to watch a showdown between two exceptional warriors. A few exciting, historical matchups that UFC fans have had the chance to watch in recent times were Khabib v. McGregor, Miocic v. Cormier, and Silva v. Sonnen. Now, on September 26th, another showdown will take place. This time between two undefeated Middleweight fighters: Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa. With the fight fast approaching, it’s time for a pre-fight analysis!

What’s on the line?
This upcoming showdown puts much on the line for both athletes. First, both warriors are undefeated, and one of them is bound to have his perfect record go up in flames. Along with having their records on the line, both fighters are also putting their career’s momentum at stake. In professional fighting, when a warrior is defeated once, the loss can trigger a downward spiral for a fighter. Israel Adesanya, with a record of 19-0, has a bit more on the line than Costa, with a 13-0 record. Moreover, Adesanya will be defending his Middleweight championship status against Paulo Costa; putting the pressure on the Nigerian fighter to defend his title and maintain a perfect record.

Fighter comparisons: Who has the edge?
Striking:
While both fighters are primarily strikers with a kickboxing background, Israel Adesanya as more proven in the ring as a striker. Paulo Costa has established himself as an effective striker in the UFC. Despite that, Adesanya has an impressive resume in both the Glory World Series promotion and the King in the Ring promotion; with an impressive 75-5 professional kickboxing record, Israel Adesanya takes the striking edge over his opponent.

Striking edge: Israel Adesanya
Grappling:
In the grappling category, the edge easily goes to Paulo Costa. Costa is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, compared to Adesanya, who only holds a blue belt rank. Costa’s greater understanding of grappling techniques, as well as his more muscular frame, gives him the grappling edge against his opponent.

Grappling edge: Paulo Costa
Physical attributes:
When it comes to physical attributes, the two competitors are significantly different. Israel Adesanya is tall and lanky. With a 6’4 frame, his main attributes come from his long legs and exceptionally long 80″ reach. Adesanya’s long stature allows him to reach his opponents from a long-range and deliver damaging strikes before his foes can reach him.

Paulo Costa, on the other hand, is shorter than his opponent, but much more muscular. Costa, at only 6′ tall, might not be as tall or have the reach advantage of Adesanya, but he makes up for it in size. Simply put, Paulo Costa looks like a machine. His heavy build and muscular physique might not give him an advantage in long-range striking, but if Costa manages to clinch with Adesanya, his strikes can be deadly.

Physical edge: Tied
Toronto Caribbean Newspaper fight prediction
Both Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa are accomplished and impressive fighters. With both warriors sharing an undefeated record, and a unique fighting style, it’s nearly impossible to predict the outcome of the fight. Despite that, Israel Adesanya has a more accomplished record in the ring, is the current UFC Middleweight Champion, and has a crucial striking advantage over his opponent. We predict a successful title defense by Israel Adesanya!