Israel Adesanya is gearing up for his second title defense as the undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion. And in the midst of all the speculation regarding the when and where of the event, he recently stumbled upon an interesting suggestion.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani took to Twitter to share with fight fans that New Zealand has restarted sports events in front of crowds. The country declared itself free of the coronavirus quite some time ago. Also, officials are taking strict measures to prevent any further spread of the pandemic.

“Forget TUF, have you seen sports in New Zealand lately? They are almost back to normal with big crowds at events. It’s incredible, and I’m jealous. Do Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa in NZ in October … with a crowd. Who says no?”

While the UFC has been carrying on its events without any gate or audience, the bout for the Middleweight Championship on the Champion’s turf does not seem like a bad idea.

Adesanya took to his own Instagram to acknowledge Ariel’s suggestion.

What challenges will Israel Adesanya face in his second title defense?

Simply put, Paulo Costa.

‘The Last Stylebender’ is really taking on the meanest fighters to decorate his mantel with the heads of the best. For example, he made his first title defense against someone whom no one would ever want to call out- Yoel Romero.

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Now, he will take on the unbeaten Paulo Costa- ‘The Borrachinha’, which literally translates to ‘The Eraser’.

Costa also holds a victory over the ‘Soldier of God’. Furthermore, his resume, like Adesanya’s, boasts of a spotless record with 13 wins. He also holds wins over the top tier of fighters, including Uriah Hall.

Costa brings forward overwhelming pressure with his menacing stature. His strikes reach far out to connect with their targets. Moreover, his sheer strength, the fighter’s USP, is enough to KO any opponent.

Thus, Adesanya has perhaps his biggest challenge ahead of him. Do you think he will be able to keep his record clean with 0 losses, or will the same be true for Paulo Costa?