Preview: UFC 269 Prelims

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Bantamweights

NR | Randy Costa (6-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. NR | Tony Kelley (7-2, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Costa (-175), Kelley (+155)

Costa’s fights cannot help but be entertaining. He came into the UFC about as inexperienced as a prospect gets, but it is easy to see why the promotion took the flier. His four fights on the regional scene ended via knockout, all of which came within 71 seconds. Costa’s finishing ability comes from an unorthodox style that is inefficient but packs a ton of power into some off-kilter techniques. When combined with that lack of experience, his UFC career has gone about as expected. He has managed to blast each of his opponents early, but he has either scored the quick knockout or tired and gotten finished himself quickly into the second round. Still, it is a testament to Costa’s progress that he does not look out of place at this level despite being so raw. He will look to build some momentum here. Kelley was off the radar when the UFC signed him for a late-notice debut in 2020, as the Louisianan had taken all of one fight since 2016. However, “PrimeTime” has made good on the opportunity, starting off his UFC career with a three-round war against Kai Kamaka III before earning his first UFC win against Ali AlQaisi in October 2020. Kelley’s hard-charging style should allow Costa to get some work done, which leaves this fight with the same calculus as most of his fights. Either he gets the first-round finish or Kelley finds a way to take over the fight himself. Kelley has yet to be finished, but between the opportunities his lack of defense is going to provide and the level of power that Costa brings to the table, “The Zohan” seems like a worthy favorite. The call is that Costa finds a first-round knockout.

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