Paulo Costa

Picked against, with the analyst expecting the fight to become a striking match that favors the opponent's shot selection.

Blends punches and kicks fluidly, digs beautiful shots to the body, kicks well across the board, and leans on a signature lead hook to trap opponents against the fence before letting his hands go. There's plenty to admire, but consistency is a real issue -- some of these tools haven't shown up as dependably in recent outings as they once did, and it's genuinely unclear which version turns up on a given night, though his most recent fight was a good one. One consistent asset is his physical gas tank -- real athletic ability paired with a knack for continuing to fight even through visible fatigue rather than folding. His grappling holds up too -- a dangerous guillotine, heavy ground-and-pound, strong takedown defense, good sprawling, and he refuses to sit in bottom position, working his way straight back up. He's probably a slight edge in pure grappling terms over this particular opponent, though the fight isn't expected to spend much time there.