UFC 253
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | September 27, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates |
Area served | Global (via broadcast) |
UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 27, 2020, taking place at the du Forum located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
Initially set for September 19, the event was postponed to September 27, while UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley occupied the original date.
A unification contest for the UFC Lightweight Championship between titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Justin Gaethje was briefly associated with UFC 253 but ultimately moved to UFC 254.
The main event featured undefeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (19–0) facing challenger Paulo Costa (13–0), marking only the second occasion in UFC history where two unbeaten male fighters competed for a championship.
Conducted without a live audience, UFC 253 followed North American prime time scheduling despite its Abu Dhabi venue, with the main card commencing at 6:00 am local time.
The headline fight was for the UFC Middleweight Championship between reigning titleholder Israel Adesanya and contender Paulo Costa. This matchup was originally slated for UFC 248 but delayed due to Costa’s injury. Adesanya had most recently defended his belt against former challenger and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero.
The co-main event featured a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former contender Dominick Reyes and ex-KSW Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz. The championship became vacant after two-time titleholder Jon Jones relinquished it amid salary disagreements and his transition to heavyweight division.
A heavyweight match between Ciryl Gane and Shamil Abdurakhimov, which had been rescheduled multiple times for this card, was shifted to an earlier event.
Additional alterations included former strawweight title challenger Cláudia Gadelha withdrawing because of injury, postponing her fight against Yan Xiaonan. A flyweight contest involving Jordan Espinosa and David Dvořák was also rescheduled.
In the women's bantamweight division, Marion Reneau pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Sijara Eubanks, who faced off against Ketlen Vieira. Ľudovít Klein made his featherweight debut as a substitute for Nate Landwehr, who tested positive for COVID-19.
A bantamweight fight between Casey Kenney and Heili Alateng was deferred to a subsequent event.
During weigh-ins, featherweights Zubaira Tukhugov and Ľudovít Klein both exceeded the limit by four pounds; their bouts proceeded at catchweight with penalties applied.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded to:
- Fight of the Night: Brandon Royval vs. Kai Kara-France
- Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya and Jan Błachowicz