UFC 253 promised two competitive title fights and with it brought two impressive commanding performances.
In the headline bout, Israel Adesanya left Paulo Costa in the dust as ‘The Last Stylebender’ had too much for the Brazilian on the feet as the now 20-0 middleweight champion put on a flawless showing.
With brutal leg kicks before offering up startlingly quick kicks up top, Adesanya dominated Costa from the get-go before a left hook put ‘The Eraser’ to the mat with the following ground and pound finishing the job.
In Saturday night’s other championship bout, underdog Jan Blachowicz defeated Dominick Reyes via TKO after an early punishing body kick set the tempo.
With Blachowicz that bit sharper in the early running, the resurgent Polish fighter would land what is becoming a trademark left hook counter to put Reyes on uneasy legs and moments later become the new 205 lbs champion.
After a successful start to the UFC’s second Fight Island residence, here are five fights for the promotion’s matchmakers to make in the aftermath of UFC 253:
Israel Adesanya vs. Whittaker / Cannonier Winner
Proving himself too technical for Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya showcased that it’s going to take something special to take the 185 lbs title from his waist.
With ‘The Last Stylebender’ slowly beginning to clear out the middleweight division, Adesanya has already defeated five of the current top eight contenders so it may not be too long before the need for a super fight takes precedent.
As for whats next, Adesanya’s own desire to fight Jared Cannonier would make the most sense but with a fight scheduled with Robert Whittaker for UFC 254, the victor should be handed the next crack at the Nigerian-born New Zealander.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Santos / Teixeira Winner
After starting his UFC career with a 2-4 record, you would be forgiven for writing off Jan Blachowicz’s chances at ever becoming a UFC champion.
Since that poor start however, Blachowicz has gone 8-1 at light heavyweight and a vacant title has come at the perfect time for the humble Polish 37-year old.
For his first title defence, the UFC should look no further than UFC 254’s light heavyweight clash between two fighters riding high in the rankings.
After two cancellations due to COVID-19 infections for both men, the winner of Thiago Santos vs. Glover Teixeira should be the next in line.
Brandon Royval vs. Askar Askarov
Coming into the UFC with a submission win over former title challenger Tim Elliott, Brandon Royval’s sophomore showing was more of the same against Kai Kara France.
After a hectic first round which saw both men score a knockdown moments apart, Royval’s via a stunning spinning back elbow, the American quickly snatched up a guillotine choke in the second to get the job done.
With flyweight a shallow division in terms of numbers, Royval’s 2-0 record may well put him into a title eliminator for his next outing and a fight with Askar Askarov would create a worthy #1 contender.
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev
Now on a five-fight winning streak after defeating Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision, Hakeem Dawodu is a name to look out for in the featherweight division.
Unfortunately for Dawodu, a five-fight winning streak would normally put a fighter into the top 15 in most weight classes but with 145 lbs particularly strong, the Canadian will likely need one more win before cracking the UFC’s rankings.
With Movsar Evloev another rising prospect in the featherweight division, a match-up between the two would likely give the winner a number next to their name.
Brad Riddell vs. Leonardo Santos
Now 3-0 in the lightweight division following a unanimous decision win over Alex da Silva Coelho, Brad Riddell, the former kickboxing Kiwi, is a tough match-up for most on the feet.
With an impressive start his UFC career, Riddell needs a marked step-up in competition and Leonardo Santos could provide that test.
With the Brazilian having a disjointed time through injuries, a relatively quick turnaround against Riddell would be a challenging proposition for both men.