Paulo Costa will have the opportunity of a lifetime as he gears up to face Israel Adesanya inside the Octagon. Knockout artist Costa has won several fights by finishing his opponents. Ahead of UFC 253, let’s turn back the clock to have a look at the fastest knockout of Paulo Costa’s career.

The undefeated Costa has had thirteen fights in his career, of which five have been in the UFC. Apart from his fight against Yoel Romero, Costa has finished every single opponent of his in the first or second round. What’s even more impressive is that he never went past the first round before landing in the UFC.

While all his knockouts are a testament to his strength and skills, the one that stands out statistically came in his second fight.

Back in 2013, Costa was about to fight Ademilson Borges under the banner of Upper Fight: MMA Championship 2. The fight started with Costa landing heavy leg kicks. Costa came in with a clear plan. He kept chopping away at Borges’ legs. “Borrachinha” even attempted a takedown. However, when he couldn’t land the same, he kept up with his barrage of kicks.

What’s noteworthy is that all the kicks were aimed low. However, as soon as Costa switched the level of his kick, it caught his opponent off-guard. The result was that Borges went down to the mat. The leg kick brought back memories of a prime Mirko Cro Cop finishing opponents with his kicks.

Keys to victory for Paulo Costa against Israel Adesanya

Both Costa and Adesanya are elite strikers with their own unique strengths. While Costa has the edge in terms of power, Adesanya is the more technical striker. Both of them have a good gas tank. However, Costa has never gone the full five rounds in any of his fights.

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If the Brazilian wishes to win the contest, he has to keep up doing what has been working for him so far. He has to mix his strikes. Moreover, he cannot afford to become predictable. Adesanya is a master at picking his opponents apart. Therefore, he has to keep the middleweight champ guessing at what’s coming next.

UFC 253 takes place this weekend at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The headliner between Costa and Adesanya is a bonafide ‘Fight of the Year’ that guarantees action for the viewers.