Israel Adesanya made it look easy.
Adesanya (20-0) successfully defended his middleweight championship in the main event of UFC 253 with a one-sided mauling of Paulo Costa, who also entered the fight with an undefeated streak of his own. But Costa (13-1) was no match for Adesanya, who put forth a dominating performance that began with his legs and ended with his fists.
The second-round TKO finish does not do justice to the brilliant strategy and execution from Adesanya. The fight opened with a kick from Adesanya, and that was the story of the fight. Adesanya used his vicious array of kicks to chew up both of Costa’s legs, which completely changed the direction and momentum of the fight within the first two minutes.