Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa betting odds update

The online sportsbooks first released the odds for Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa last year, and now we have an update on them.

After defeating Yoel Romero at UFC 241, Costa was expected to be next in line to fight Adesanya after he unified the middleweight titles against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243. At the time of the original fight announcement, the sportbooks released the odds for the bout, with Adesanya opening as a -140 betting favorite and Costa being a +100 underdog.

The fight didn’t happen due to Costa getting injured, which led to Romero fighting Adesanya at UFC 248. But the odds remained up for anyone to move them. With Adesanya defeating Romero, Costa is once again next in line to fight for the belt, and the betting odds have shifted somewhat for this upcoming bout since they originally opened.

The online sportsbook BetOnline (via BestFightOdds.com) currently lists Adesanya as a -185 betting favorite, with Costa being a +160 underdog. That means you would have to bet $185 on Adesanya to win $100, while a $100 bet on Costa would win you $160.

It’s not surprising to see Adesanya listed as the betting favorite considering he is the UFC middleweight champion. But considering he had such a poor performance against Romero, it’s a bit surprising the odds have jumped in the last few days. With Adesanya showing several holes in his game during the fight you would think some money would cost in on Costa as the underdog.

For Costa, Adesanya is the next man in line as he looks to achieve his dream of becoming the UFC middleweight champion. The fight against Romero proved that Costa was an elite fighter, but Adesanya is the next step up on that. Though Romero was not aggressive when he fought Adesanya, you have to think Costa will throw everything at the champ as he looks to win the belt.

Who do you have your money on in the upcoming Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa fight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/10/2020.