UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 18 hours ago
- 8 min read
Introduction
UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa took place on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It was the second UFC numbered card held on Fight Island, the most decisive championship performance of Israel Adesanya's career, and the night Jan Blachowicz claimed the light-heavyweight title that Jon Jones had vacated five months earlier. The card produced an estimated 650,000 pay-per-view buys.
The main event was the answer to every question UFC 248 had left open about Adesanya's championship ceiling. Where the Romero fight had been a stand-and-stare disaster, the Costa fight was a near-perfect striking exhibition: 27 calf kicks landed in eight minutes, complete control of the centre, and a flash KO in round two that left an undefeated 13-0 challenger flattened against the cage. Adesanya then mocked Costa's pre-fight antics by lying on top of him and doing the 'hand-to-the-ear' pose.
The co-main produced its own championship moment. Jan Blachowicz TKO'd Dominick Reyes in round two to claim the vacant light-heavyweight strap — the title left empty after Jones moved to heavyweight following his controversial decision over Reyes at UFC 247.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, September 26, 2020
📍 Venue: Flash Forum, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE (UFC Fight Island)
👥 Attendance: 0 (closed-door, COVID-19 era)
💰 Gate: $0 (no live audience)
📺 PPV Buys: ~650,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Paulo Costa — UFC Middleweight Championship (185 lbs)
✅ Result: Adesanya def. Costa via TKO (punches) — R2, 3:59
🥇 Co-Main: Jan Blachowicz def. Dominick Reyes via TKO — R2, 4:36 — Vacant Light Heavyweight Title
The Build-Up
Adesanya entered the cage carrying six months of public criticism from his UFC 248 stand-and-stare against Yoel Romero. The 128-significant-strikes-in-25-minutes performance had created a narrative around his championship ceiling that he was visibly motivated to dismantle. Paulo Costa — the undefeated 13-0 Brazilian power puncher — was the perfect dance partner: explosive, physically intimidating, and rhetorically aggressive. The pre-fight cycle was charged.
Costa had spent the build-up needling Adesanya in interviews, accusing him of running from danger and labelling him a 'fake' champion. Adesanya, ever measured in public, kept his responses brief. He told reporters at the pre-fight press conference: "Paulo is going to learn what range really means." The line later became a meme. Betting lines opened Adesanya at -200; they closed at -240 as fight week progressed.
The co-main featured the first fight for the light-heavyweight title since Jon Jones vacated it in August 2020. The contestants were Dominick Reyes — the 12-1 American who had pushed Jones to a hotly disputed five-round decision at UFC 247 — and Jan Blachowicz, the 27-9 Polish veteran on a four-fight win streak that included a 2019 Performance bonus over Luke Rockhold. Reyes opened a -200 favourite. Blachowicz closed at +180.
Main Event: Adesanya vs. Costa
Adesanya fought one of the most surgical title-fight performances of the modern era. The opening minute showed his strategy: pressure Costa's lead leg with low calf kicks, refuse the centre, and force the Brazilian to walk into striking range on Adesanya's timing. Within ninety seconds, Costa was already starting to limp slightly. By the end of round one, Adesanya had landed 14 calf kicks (most in the lead-leg position) and Costa had been able to land just three significant strikes.
Round two opened with Costa unable to push off his lead leg. Adesanya stepped through with a straight right hand that wobbled Costa, followed with a left hook on the cage that dropped him to a knee. Costa stood up; Adesanya backed him to the fence and unloaded a sustained combination that left Costa flat on his back. Referee Jason Herzog stopped it at 3:59 of round two. Final significant strikes: Adesanya 39, Costa 12.
Then came the celebration. With Costa still flat on his back, Adesanya straddled him, cupped his hand to his ear, and held the pose for the cameras — a deliberate echo of Costa's own pre-fight posturing. The image became one of the most circulated photographs in UFC history and the defining shot of Adesanya's championship reign. "You take a man's head," he said in his post-fight interview, "and then you take his soul."
The win was Adesanya's second middleweight title defense and an emphatic answer to the criticism that had followed UFC 248. He would go on to defend the title four more times before losing to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022. The calf-kick performance at UFC 253 became a textbook reference for the technique — within a year, it was being taught at major MMA gyms worldwide as a championship-level strategy against power punchers.
Co-Main Event: Blachowicz vs. Reyes
Jan Blachowicz's title win was one of the most quietly stunning championship results of 2020. Reyes — the betting favourite — controlled round one with footwork and the southpaw straight left. Blachowicz absorbed it, kept walking forward, and started loading the right hand by the second minute of round two.
At 4:36 of round two, the right hand landed clean. Reyes wobbled, retreated to the cage, and Blachowicz followed with a six-punch combination that sent the American to the canvas. Referee Marc Goddard stopped it. "Legendary Polish power," Blachowicz said in his post-fight interview — a phrase that would become his catchphrase. He was the first Polish UFC champion in promotion history.
For Reyes, the loss began a four-fight losing streak that effectively ended his championship career. He would lose his next three to Jiri Prochazka, Ryan Spann, and Dustin Jacoby before stepping away from competition. The Adesanya-Costa main event had been the night Adesanya cemented his reign; the Blachowicz-Reyes co-main was the night the post-Jon Jones light-heavyweight era officially began.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Israel Adesanya (c) def. Paulo Costa — TKO (punches) — R2, 3:59 — Middleweight Title
Jan Blachowicz def. Dominick Reyes — TKO (punches) — R2, 4:36 — Vacant Light Heavyweight Title
Kai Kara-France def. Brandon Royval — TKO (corner stoppage, shoulder injury) — R1, 4:59 — Flyweight
Hakeem Dawodu def. Zubaira Tukhugov — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Featherweight
Ketlen Vieira def. Sijara Eubanks — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Women's Bantamweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Diego Sanchez def. Jake Matthews — DQ (illegal elbow) — R3, 4:55 — Welterweight
Khadis Ibragimov def. Danilo Marques — N/A (Correction: Marques def. Ibragimov via Sub R2) — Light Heavyweight
William Knight def. Aleksa Camur — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Light Heavyweight
Juan Espino def. Jeff Hughes — Submission (kimura) — R1, 1:53 — Heavyweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya — $50,000 for the second-round TKO of Paulo Costa.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Jan Blachowicz — $50,000 for the second-round TKO of Dominick Reyes to claim the vacant light-heavyweight title.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Juan Espino — $50,000 for the first-round kimura submission of Jeff Hughes.
Records & Milestones
• Adesanya's second successful UFC Middleweight Championship defense — the most decisive title-fight performance of his career.
• Jan Blachowicz became the first Polish UFC champion in promotion history.
• First UFC light-heavyweight title fight after Jon Jones vacated the title in August 2020 — marking the formal start of the post-Jones era at 205 lbs.
• Paulo Costa's first professional loss, ending a 13-0 undefeated run.
• Adesanya landed 27 calf kicks across two rounds — one of the most prolific calf-kick performances in any modern UFC title fight.
• Second UFC numbered card held on Fight Island — the start of a busy Abu Dhabi fall slate that included UFC 254, UFC 257, and several Fight Night cards.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 253 is remembered as the night Adesanya silenced the post-UFC 248 critics. The calf-kick masterclass against Costa became a tape-study staple at gyms worldwide and helped popularise the technique across multiple weight divisions. Adesanya would go on to defend the title four more times — against Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier, and a second Vettori bout — before losing to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022.
For Paulo Costa, the loss began a slow decline. He fought just three more times in the four years following UFC 253, losing twice and developing well-documented issues around his weight, his nutrition, and his preparation. His undefeated aura, which had drawn comparisons to a young Anderson Silva, never recovered.
For Jan Blachowicz, the title win opened a brief but distinguished championship reign. He defended the belt successfully against Adesanya himself at UFC 259 in March 2021 — handing Adesanya the first loss of his professional career when Adesanya stepped up two divisions to 205 lbs. Blachowicz lost the title to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 in October 2021 by second-round submission. He later won an interim-title eliminator at UFC 282 (December 2022) before retiring in 2024.
For Dominick Reyes, UFC 253 began a four-fight losing streak that ended his championship era. The Jones fight had been the peak of his career; the inability to convert a title shot against a less-celebrated opponent in Blachowicz became the moment his trajectory permanently shifted.
FAQ
How many calf kicks did Adesanya land on Costa?
27 calf kicks across two rounds — most landed to Costa's lead leg. The accumulation broke down Costa's mobility by the end of round one and removed his ability to push off the leg for a power shot. The calf-kick masterclass became one of the most studied performances at striking gyms worldwide and is often cited as the moment the calf kick became a mainstream tool in championship-level MMA.
What was the 'hand-to-the-ear' celebration about?
It was a direct mockery of Costa's pre-fight antics. Costa had spent the build-up making aggressive gestures, accusing Adesanya of being a fake champion, and posturing for the cameras. With Costa flat on his back post-finish, Adesanya straddled him, cupped a hand to his ear, and held the pose for the cameras — mimicking Costa's own gestures and turning them into a defining image of the night.
How did Blachowicz become the first Polish UFC champion?
By TKO at 4:36 of round two. After dropping the first round to Reyes's footwork and southpaw straight left, Blachowicz absorbed the offence and started loading the right hand. The clean right that landed in round two wobbled Reyes; a six-punch follow-up against the cage finished the fight. Blachowicz became the first Polish UFC champion in promotion history and ended a 27-9 climb that had spanned a decade in MMA.
Did Adesanya defend the title against Blachowicz?
Yes, in a way. Adesanya stepped up two divisions to challenge Blachowicz for the light-heavyweight title at UFC 259 in March 2021. Blachowicz won by unanimous decision — handing Adesanya the first loss of his professional career. Adesanya returned to middleweight after the loss and resumed defending the 185 lb title.
How was UFC 253 different from UFC 248?
Six months earlier, the UFC 248 main event had been a heavily-booed 128-significant-strike stand-and-stare against Yoel Romero. UFC 253 was its mirror image: 27 calf kicks in two rounds, a clean second-round TKO, and one of the most decisive championship performances of Adesanya's career. The contrast was visible in the PPV numbers: UFC 248 drew 700,000; UFC 253 drew 650,000 — a slight dip, but with a vastly different reception from media and fans.
Did Paulo Costa ever rematch Adesanya?
No. Costa's career trajectory shifted significantly after UFC 253. He went 1-3 in the four years following the loss, with widely-publicised weight-cutting and preparation issues. He never received another UFC title shot. The rematch was discussed periodically but never materialised.
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