NEWARK, N.J. – Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa are two of the more unique personalities in the middleweight division, so it was a scene when the middleweight contenders came together ahead of the UFC 302 co-main event.
After taking questions from reporters and entertaining the fans at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) and Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) engaged in a faceoff, which was unsurprisingly awkward.
Strickland will attempt to rebound after losing the 185-pound title to Dricus Du Plessis in January, while Costa tries to return to form following a decision defeat to Robert Whittaker in February.
Will it be Sean Strickland or Paulo Costa at #UFC302? We’re two days away from finding out 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/jnYiBciYMk
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 30, 2024
Check out the video above to see the Strickland vs. Costa staredown from the UFC 302 pre-fight press conference.
UFC 302 takes place Saturday at Prudential Center. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
