Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa — Fight recap

Israel Adesanya retained his middleweight title with a second-round TKO over Paulo Costa at 3:59, halting the Brazilian's aggressive pressure with a devastating striking display. Adesanya landed 55 of 84 significant strikes (65%) while Costa managed only 12 of 26 (46%), a decisive striking advantage that reflected the champion's superior range and footwork.

The Last Stylebender found his range early, particularly with leg kicks (26 of 27) and head strikes (24 of 51), systematically dismantling Costa's forward momentum. Costa absorbed the punishment without generating meaningful offense, landing just two head strikes across the entire fight before the stoppage.

Adesanya's striking precision and movement proved too much for Costa's brawling approach, cementing his status as the division's elite technician and setting up potential matchups against top contenders in a crowded middleweight landscape.