Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Sean Strickland will take on Paulo “The Eraser” Costa in the Middleweight bout. You can view the complete UFC 302 card.

Strickland brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 76″ reach. In contrast, Costa, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 72″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 41% striking accuracy, Strickland has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 5.91 per minute. On the other hand, Costa boasts a 58% striking accuracy, landing approximately 6.2 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 33-year-old, Sean Strickland is coming in with a 28-6-0 record. Strickland will be fighting for the first time since a loss via split decision against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis in January.

Costa, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Sean Strickland on January 20, 2024, at UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria and holds a 14-3-0 record.

Sean Strickland has a orthodox fighting stance with an 76″ reach. The 33-year-old Paulo Costa is an orthodox fighter with a 72″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Sean Strickland stats

→ Strickland’s striking accuracy is 41%.
→ Strickland lands 5.91 significant strikes per minute.
→ Strickland’s takedown accuracy is 64%.
→ Strickland’s takedown average is 0.85 per 15 minutes.
→ Strickland’s takedown defense is 77%.

Strickland comes in with 41% striking accuracy, typically landing about 5.91 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Costa fires at 58% accuracy, landing about 6.2 significant strikes per minute. Sean Strickland also has a 64% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 0.85 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Costa’s 0.45 takedowns and 80% takedown accuracy.

Paulo Costa stats

→ Costa’s striking accuracy is 58%.
→ Costa lands 6.2 significant strikes per minute.
→ Costa’s takedown accuracy is 75%.
→ Costa’s takedown average is 0.45 per 15 minutes.
→ Costa’s takedown defense is 80%.

Paulo spent, on average, 11:09 minutes in the Octagon, and Sean has an average fight time of 15:12 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be a fun clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Sean or Paulo? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC 302 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2024, and latest MMA news.