Sean O’Malley‘s coach, Tim Welch had an interesting perspective on the upcoming fight between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa. The two middleweights will have a long-awaited standoff at UFC 302. Welch pointed out some problems Paulo Costa could potentially bring to Sean Strickland.
Tim Welch recently talked about Strickland and Paulo Costa‘s upcoming fight at UFC 302 on his YouTube channel. At one point in the video, Welch compared Paulo Costa to MMA legend Chuck Liddell.
He’s like a Chuck Liddell 2.0. Once he puts you on the fence he’s just throwing sharp boxing combos. If Paulo Costa can back up Sean Strickland against the fence, that’s where he’s going to be able to tee off.
Tim Welch on his YouTube channel
Welch said fighting Paulo Costa with 4-ounce gloves would be scary. According to him, Costa is one of the best at mixing body shots with hard KO finish shots. He pointed out that Costa is very explosive and is the one pushing his opponent back. Strickland has a similar dominating style so it would be interesting to see who pushes who back in this fight.
The bantamweight champion’s coach said that multiple factors could affect the outcome of this fight. Strickland has the style and stamina that would easily carry him through five rounds. Meanwhile, Costa’s incredible power could turn the fight around in a second. He once again emphasized the importance of who would back who in the fight. So it will be interesting to see how this fight turns out in a few days.
Caio Borralho talks about Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
Both Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa are equally powerful contenders in this fight. With different styles and advantages, it could definitely be a close fight. One person who has trained with both fighters recently talked about the potential outcome of this fight.
Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa for UFC 302 (via Imago) UFC middleweight fighter Caio Borralho talked about Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa at UFC 301 media day.
It’s a good fight, because it’s two top guys in the division… I see ‘Borrachinha’ is a little bit stronger than Strickland. I see the danger in his game will be around his kicks, his high kicks that he does without effort, and they’re very strong kicks. But I think as a matter of MMA, and experience and gas tank, and boxing, Strickland is way ahead of him. It will be a five-round fight so I think it could be an easy night for Strickland, for sure.
Caio Borralho at UFC 301 media day
Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa will face off this June at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Costa vs. Strickland is the co-main event while Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier will headline the main event. It will be interesting to see who beats whom and if the winner potentially gets a title shot against the middleweight champion.
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