Nigerian-born New Zealander fighter Israel Adesanya will reportedly defend his UFC middleweight title in September, with ESPN saying he’ll fight Brazilian Paulo Costa.
30-year-old Israel will line up at UFC 253 in what would be the second defence of his middleweight title, having defeated Yoel Romero at UFC 248 back in March.
That fight was initially supposed to be against Costa, who tore his left bicep in the build up to the fight.
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Costa, 29, boasts a record of 13 wins from his 13 fights in the UFC, while Adesanya is 19 from 19.
However Costa hasn’t fought since August last year, also earning victory over Romero by unanimous decision.
No venue has been confirmed, however Las Vegas or ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi would loom as likely destinations for Adesanya’s title defence.
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