However, that’s not all in-store. The co-main event of the evening will mark the beginning of a historic title reign, as for the first time in years the UFC is set to crown a new light heavyweight champion not named Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier. Fighting for the vacant title is Dominick Reyes, who faces The Pride of Poland, Jan Blachowicz.
UFC Middleweight Championship (Main Event)- Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa
Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa have been feuding against one another for months now. Matter of fact, the two have been going at each other prior to Adesanya’s last title defense over Yoel Romero and the two undefeated fighters will finally settle the beef this weekend.
In his first 25 months on the UFC roster, Adesanya went 8-0 inside the Octagon, winning the interim middleweight title in one of 2019’s best fights opposite Kelvin Gastelum before unifying the belts with a second-round finish of Robert Whittaker last October. In his first title defense, “The Last Stylebender” edged out Yoel Romero in a tactical chess match that allowed the Nigerian-born New Zealander to maintain his place atop the division.
Speaking to the media ahead of UFC 253, Adesanya said:
Costa made his UFC debut in 2017 by knocking out Garreth McLellan in 77 seconds. Costa followed that win with three second-round knockout victories over Oluwale Bamgbose, former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and Uriah Hall. The Brazilian has a perfect 5-0 record inside the Octagon and is 13-0 overall, with his Fight of the Night-winning victory over Romero at UFC 241 last summer standing as the best fight of his career to date.
Speaking to the media ahead of UFC 253, Costa took a jibe at Adesanya and said:
The highly anticipated main event between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa could be over within the blink of an eye. This fight has been labeled as ‘Precision vs Power’, based on the style of the champion and the challenger. However, there is a possibility that this one goes the full five rounds of a championship fight. The only thing that remains certain is that the entire world is counting down the hours and is waiting for Adesanya and Costa to finally square-off, in a fight that is guaranteed to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (Co-main event)- Dominick Reyes vs Jan Blachowicz
The UFC Light Heavyweight Division will mark the beginning of a new era this weekend, as Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz are set to battle for the vacant title.
Dominick Reyes is a former NFL hopeful with sneaky athleticism, long limbs, and proven finishing abilities but will be entering this fight on back of a loss to Jon Jones in February. Prior to his UFC 247 encounter with Jones, the American has comfortable wins over Chris Weidman and posted quality performances against former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir and Ovince Saint Preux to solidify his standing as one of the top contenders in the division. Now, seven months after nearly dethroning one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, Reyes ventures back into the Octagon, focused on walking out with the light heavyweight belt around his waist this time around.
Speaking to the media ahead of one of the most important fights of his career, Reyes said:
At one point, Jan Blachowicz lost four out of five bouts in UFC, winning one against a low-profile Igor Pokrajac. After that, Blachowicz won seven out of eight bouts, the last one against Corey Anderson, avenging the defeat from UFC 191. Following that knockout in February, the 37-year-old Blachowicz is now the No. 3 ranked fighter in the 205-pound division. The Polish veteran is fundamentally sound and well-rounded with a lot of power and a sneaky good submission game which was his go-to strategy in fights against Nikita Krylov, Luke Rockhold, and Corey Anderson.
Speaking to the media ahead of UFC 253, Blachowicz said:
With both fighters sitting at the top of the light heavyweight division, both men have proved that they equally deserve an opportunity to fight for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The only question that now remains is, will the second time be the charm for Reyes to claim the belt this year, or will Blachowicz once again flash his Polish power and earn UFC gold in the process?
How, where, and when to watch UFC 253 in India?
The UFC 253 main card will be telecasted on September 27, 2020, and will be LIVE and Exclusive on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, and Sony Ten 3 (In Hindi). The LIVE telecast begins at 7.30 AM IST.
Watch UFC 253 - featuring two title bouts on September 27, 2020 LIVE and Exclusive on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) channels from 7.30 am IST
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