The UFC Vegas 32 main card begins with a much-anticipated bantamweight affair as Adrian Yanez meets Randy Costa. Fans have been anxiously awaiting this matchup upon its origin and we’re finally about to see it unfold.
Both Yanez and Costa are riding hot streaks, with each taking the momentum of back-to-back finishes into UFC Vegas 32. There’s little debating that these are two of the most electric unranked fighters in the promotion, but only one will leave the UFC APEX victorious.
UFC Vegas 32 airs Saturday, July 23 with the prelims set to kick off at 4 pm (EST). Then, catch the main card exclusively on ESPN+, beginning at 7 pm (EST) and headlined by bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and TJ Dillashaw.
Fighter Profiles
Adrian Yanez (13-3, 2-0 UFC)
The 27-year-old Texas native first burst onto the scene with his first-round stoppage of Brady Huang on Dana White’s Contender Series. Yanez carried that steam into his UFC debut, knocking out fellow debutant Victor Rodriguez in the opening round via head kick. The showman earned his second performance bonus in as many tries by finishing Gustavo Lopez in the third round of their fight in March.
That brings us to the present day as Yanez has quickly become a fan favorite and one of the brightest young fighters in the sport. Yanez reps Metro Fight Club out of Houston, Texas where he’s trained for years. The sky is the limit for the bantamweight out of Texas.
Randy Costa (6-1, 2-1 UFC)
Like his UFC Vegas 32 counterpart, “The Zohan” is a bona fide highlight reel. The Massachusetts native entered the UFC undefeated with a 100% finish rate, and he’s largely been able to maintain that high bar at the highest level. Costa lost via submission in his debut but has since recorded back-to-back incredible first-round finishes, including one of Journey Newson in his previous outing last September.
The 27-year-old spends his training camps down in Florida at the renowned Sanford MMA, while also putting in work at American Top Team. With only seven pro fights under his belt, Costa has been forced to learn and adapt on the job, which he’s done up until this point. His talent and mindset set him apart.
Adrian Yanez vs Randy Costa Breakdown
As far as measurements go, Costa stands two inches taller at 5-foot-9. In addition to that, “The Zohan” will own a two-inch reach advantage. Yanez mainly stands in the orthodox stance, while Costa switches stances so frequently it’d be unfair to label him one way or the other.
If this fight goes to the ground all bets are off because neither has been there in their fairly limited UFC tenures. This should be a three-round striking clinic, or until somebody’s lights go out.
Both competitors are world-class on the feet, but aspects of their styles are noticeably different. Yanez is much more of a “walk you down”, pressuring type who uses his hands to do most of his dirty work. However, his kicks are very sneaky and almost seem to catch opponents off guard every time he offers them. Conversely, Costa is more of an at-range style striker who uses his kicks almost as much as his hands. He’s very effective at mixing his kicks to all three levels of his foe.
Both guys tend to rip shots to the body, especially when they either have their opponents up against the cage and/or covering up to defend headshots. Yanez is more dangerous with his hooks, while Costa is more effective with straight-lined strikes. As we know, strikes that are thrown straight reach the target before hooks, so keep that in mind.
All in all, both bantamweights are fully aware of the implications heading into this fight. Expect a calculated chess match in the beginning before they both begin opening up. Of course, these are two certified fight finishers but don’t be surprised if this one goes to the judges in a very close striking affair.
Who do you believe will reign victorious from Adrian Yanez vs Randy Costa? Drop your prediction in the comment section!
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