How to watch UFC 253 Adesanya vs. Costa live in the US
Undefeated fighters with vastly different styles clash when champion Israel Adesanya faces Paulo Costa in UFC 253. This is how to watch.
Israel Adesanya puts both his middleweight championship belt and his unbeaten record on the line when he steps into the UFC Octagon in Abu Dhabi. The 31-year-old who calls himself “The Last Stylebender” is favored to take his record to a perfect 20-0.
In his way is 29-year-old Brazilian Paulo Costa, who is the second-ranked fighter in the middleweight division behind Robert Whittaker. A heavily built mixed martial artist, Costa has won 11 of his 13 fights to date by knockout.
The co-main event pits Dominick Reyes against Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title vacated by Jon Jones, who has moved up to heavyweight.
When is UFC 253 Adesanya vs. Costa?
UFC 253 is being held on Sunday September 27 in the United Arab Emirates, with the preliminary card starting at 8pm ET with 4 fights. There are then 5 more bouts on the main card starting from 10pm ET.
How to watch UFC 253 Adesanya vs. Costa
ESPN, ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass are your options for catching UFC action live in the US. Typically the broadcasters differ for the early prelims, prelims and the main card. We break it all down for you in our guide to live streaming UFC in the US.
For UFC 253, the early prelims are on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and UFC Fight Pass. You can find the preliminary card on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes, while the only way to watch the main card is on exclusive ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Stream the fight on ESPN+
Get access to the main card via pay-per-view on ESPN+.
Watch UFC 253 Adesanya vs. Costa on ESPN+
The only way to watch this huge clash of unbeaten combatants is via ESPN+, which has the exclusive rights across the US to the stacked main card. New subscribers can sign up to ESPN+ for $4.99 a month or just $49.99 for an annual pass. You can then get the PPV for $64.99.
Another option you could consider is ESPN’s bundle promo, which gets you ESPN+ for a year and the main card for a total of $84.98 for new subscribers. There is also the option to bundle it with Hulu and Disney+. It’s available through:
- Apple and Android devices
- Fire TV, Roku, Samsung smart TVs
- Chromecast
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Oculus Go
You can also check out all you need to know in our ESPN+ guide.
Live stream UFC 253 early prelims with UFC Fight Pass
If you have a subscription to UFC Fight Pass, you have access to the early prelims. There is a monthly subscription for $9.99 or you can pay $95.99 for a discounted annual pass. This option also grants you an extensive fight catalog that includes boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing. New subscribers can also access a free seven-day trial.
UFC 253 full card
Main card
- Middleweight title fight: Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa
- Vacant light heavyweight title fight: Dominick Reyes vs Jan Blachowicz
- Flyweight: Kai Kara-France vs Brandon Rovyal
- Women’s bantamweight: Ketlen Vieira vs Sijara Eubanks
- Featherweight: Zubaira Tukhugov vs Hakeem Dawodu
Preliminary card
- Lightweight: Brad Riddell vs Alex da Silva
- Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs Diego Sanchez
- Featherweight: Shane Young vs Ludovit Klein
- Light heavyweight: Aleksa Camur vs William Knight
Who will win Adesanya vs. Costa?
This is an intriguing and spiteful match-up and could present the biggest threat yet to Adesanya’s unbeaten streak. The Nigerian-born, New Zealand-based fighter has a significant height and reach advantage over Costa and will aim to use his striking and unconventional angles to counter the Brazilian.
Costa is likely to spend most of the fight moving forward looking for another knockout to add to his collection. If Adesanya can use his speed to mostly keep out of harm’s way, we’re leaning toward another decision victory for the reigning champion.
Image source: ESPN+
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