It will be interesting to see what Costa brings to the table as a
promising prospect badly in need of a win. Costa was particularly
raw upon signing with the UFC in 2019. Up until that point, he had
less than a year as a professional and won each of his four fights
within 71 seconds. However, it was easy to see why the UFC took the
flier on Costa. He burned himself out in his debut against Brandon
Davis but blasted Boston
Salmon and Journey
Newson for electric first-round knockouts in his next two
bouts. While his next fight against Adrian
Yanez was another outing where Costa slowed down after a hot
start and paid the price, it was a clear step in the right
direction. Costa showed some progress in transitioning from the
unorthodox and inefficient striking style that brought him to the
dance towards something more sustainable. Unfortunately, that did
not really get Costa anywhere against Tony Kelley
in December. This time around, Costa obviously attempted to
maintain his gas tank with a clinch-heavy approach, but once the
second round came around, he still found himself tired and falling
victim to a second-round finish. Costa looks for a rebound against
Argentina’s Cannetti, who has quietly turned a stint on “The
Ultimate Fighter Latin America” into an eight-year UFC career. A
standout athlete who was already 34 when he made his UFC debut,
“Ninja” has shown his age in his recent trips to the Octagon,
mostly in the form of having to manage his gas tank to keep his
power-punching approach effective. While the last few years have
resulted in a rough stretch of losses and injuries, Cannetti’s most
recent performance showed he still has something left in the tank,
as he stopped Kris
Moutinho in a shade over two minutes in March. Still, this
fight is mostly all about Costa’s ability to score a quick knockout
before he tires; given Cannetti’s historical tendency to get
finished by the hardest hitters on his resume, the American should
get back in the win column. The pick is Costa via first-round
knockout.
UFC News & Features
