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I’m starting to feel bad for former 205-pound champion Jon Jones, who spent the better part of his UFC career getting harassed by middleweights. That’s on top of his challengers at light heavyweight, as well as the power-punching titans in the 265-pound weight class.
Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman, Luke Rockhold, Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya … and now Paulo Costa.
That’s according to his coach, Eric Albarracin, who believes “The Eraser” is going to handily dispose of “scrawny” 185-pound kingpin Israel Adesanya when they trade leather in the UFC 253 pay-per-view (PPV) main event later this month on “Fight Island.”
“I would say the initial goal, the main goal right now is going after Israel Adesanya, getting that belt,” Albarracin said told ESPN. “We got him figured out. We got his whole team figured out. I know what (Alex) Volkanovski’s game is. I know Israel Adesanya’s game, Dan Hooker’s game. We got them figured out to a T. On September 26th, Paulo Costa will erase Israel Adesanya. Then don’t be surprised if we’re going after that 205 belt either. Jon Jones can run but he can’t hide.”
Someone should probably tell Team Costa that Jones is no longer the UFC light heavyweight champion after failing to come to terms on a new deal. “Bones” has since teased a move up to the heavyweight division, but we’ve been hearing that rumor since 2012 so pardon me if I don’t break out the bubbly just yet.
If Costa does manage to outlast “Stylebender” in Abu Dhabi, he’ll first have some housekeeping to do at 185 pounds. Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier are very much in play, as is middleweight “Joker’ Jack Hermansson.
Then again, Adesanya will probably win and make all of this a pointless conversation.