UFC 253 results: Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz score TKO title wins
The worlds leading MMA promotion returned to Fight Island for UFC 253 this weekend, an event with two belts on the line, and now the full results are in as Israel Adesanya still stands as middleweight champion.
Adesanya faced Brazilian bruiser Paulo Costa, the first time two undefeated fighters would meet for a UFC title since Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida. With Costa possessing unmatched KO power, many expected his best chances for winning to be by ending the fight via early stoppage – However it was the champion that scored victory via that method. Costa curiously fought on the outside at kicking distance, absorbing hellacious leg kicks, over 20 in the first round.
In the second round Adesanya landed a high kick that cut Costa open, and after dropping the Brazilian with a glancing strike, the middleweight champ retained his title by finishing with ground and pound.
“I’m 10 steps ahead,” Adesanya said at the post fight press conference. “I told you guys I’m 10 steps ahead. You think these are just words, but I’m 10 steps ahead. … I told you guys in the pre-fight I’m not a human punching bag. He’s only fought human punching bags, guys who will just stand there and cover up. They just let him tee off on them. I knew, because he was cutting me off. Bro, we are the best, City Kickboxing.”
Light heavyweights Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz faced off for the vacant light heavyweight title in the co-main event. Blachowicz opened up with hard kicks to the body, leaving clear marks on his opponents side. In the second round the two found themselves in a wild exchange, with Blachowicz breaking Reyes’ nose, then dropping him with later shots. After a handfull of ground strikes referee Kevin Sataki called a stop to the action, leaving Blachowicz as the new light heavyweight champion.
Blachowicz clearly had an opponent in mind for his next fight, former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
"Jon Jones, where are you?"
??? @JanBlachowicz #UFC253 pic.twitter.com/LKx0y6Ds2H
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) September 27, 2020
“Right now we can talk about him because I didn’t want to talk about him before the fight because my opponent was Dominick (Reyes),” Blachowicz said at the post-fight press conference. “Now I don’t have an opponent, so Jon Jones why not? Nobody knows what he’s doing right now, so we’ll see. But yeah, why not? He promised me this fight in Albuquerque (N.M.) after I knocked out Corey Anderson.”
UFC 253: Adesanya vs Costa – Results
- Israel Adesanya def. Paulo Costa via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 3:59
- Jan Blachowicz def. Dominick Reyes via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:36
- Brandon Royval def. Kai Kara-France via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 0:48
- Ketlen Vieira def. Sijara Eubanks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Hakeem Dawodu def. Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
- Brad Riddell def. Alex da Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jake Matthews def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
- Ludovit Klein def. Shane Young via knockout (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 1:16
- William Knight def. Aleksa Camur via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Juan Espino def. Jeff Hughes via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:48
- Danilo Marques def. Khadis Ibragimov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
