Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has been very vocal lately when it comes to expressing his opinions in MMA. Recently, Wonderboy made himself available as a potential opponent for Nick Diaz. Now, Thompson is offering his analytic services when it comes to the big Middleweight clash between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa. The pair will face each other in the main event of UFC 253, and Wonderboy believes that the striking of Adesanya should be enough for him to sail to a smooth victory over Costa.
Thompson has found various ways to keep his name in headlines throughout the global pandemic. Although he hasn’t fought since November of 2019, Wonderboy has stayed relevant by being active on social media as well as Twitch. He’s also taken part in a host of interviews where he’s shared his opinion on the sport in general.
Wonderboy Breaks Down Adesanya vs Costa
As a guest on Submission Radio, Wonderboy spoke about the upcoming bout between Adesanya vs Costs. Let’s just say that he doesn’t believe Paulo stands a chance.
“I don’t consider Paulo Costa a technical striker at all,” said Wonderboy. “Think he’s a brawler. I mean, you see him do it time and time again, he breaks people. For a guy that shredded and that big, he’s got cardio for days, this guy.” When [Costa] beat Uriah Hall first, he broke Uriah Hall mentally,” Thompson continued. “He just gave up out there. And of course, you’re not gonna break Yoel Romero. And those guys fought pretty much exactly the same, came forward, and swung for the fences.”
He’s (Costa) very, very durable, he’s very tough to finish. I think after the first round, maybe Paulo Costa, if Izzy can tire him out just a little bit, it’s going to slow him down, and Israel Adesanya’s going to be able to have a field day counter striking this guy. I think I got my man Izzy winning that fight.”
Why Adesanya’s Style Prevails
Wonderboy further explained his analysis by breaking down the way Costa approaches mixed martial arts. As a brawler, he doesn’t think Costa will last against a technical counter-striker like Izzy. He stated that Costa’s aggressiveness is exactly what a counter-striker like Adesanya thrives against.
As a high-lever striker himself, it’s interesting to hear the analysis from Wonderboy. Next, we’ll see if his analysis is as great as his striking.
