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UFC 302 Results: Ex-Champ Sean Strickland Outworks Paulo Costa in Co-Main Event

The former champion returned to the win column in New Jersey.

Drew Beaupre

(Zuffa LLC)

The co-main event of UFC 302 saw Sean Strickland rebound from losing his middleweight belt when he defeated #7-ranked contender Paulo Costa.

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Fighting twice in the same year for the first time since 2017, Costa started investing in leg kicks right from the start of the bout and had considerable success with that approach before Strickland began defending the technique.

The former champion applied constant pressure and continued outlanding Costa even as the Brazilian found a second wind in the fourth and fifth rounds. "The Eraser" did some of his best work during the final frame, but a late flurry from Strickland closed out the fight in emphatic fashion.

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Costa's efforts did earn him a 49-46 scorecard from one of the cageside judges, but the other two judges scored the fight in favor of Strickland and gave the former champion a split-decision victory.

Ranked as the UFC's #1 middleweight contender ahead of the fight, Strickland was quick to call for a title shot and rematch with Dricus Du Plessis while speaking to Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview.

The middleweight co-main event came immediately after Kevin Holland submitted MichaƂ Oleksiejczuk in the first round, and the only finish from the preliminary portion of the event also saw Jailton Almeida rebound from his first UFC loss when he locked up a rear naked choke on Alexandr Romanov.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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