Costa came out attacking low kicks, landing a couple heavy ones right out of the chute. But Strickland started checking those shots and getting into his rhythm, and Costa initially had no answers. Strickland continued to be the aggressor over the championship rounds, but Costa had his moments in each of those frames, making this closer than anticipated as they worked to the horn.
After 25 minutes, the judges were called upon to render a verdict, and ultimately, Strickland came away on the happy side of the split decision result. The win keeps the former titleholder near the top of the list of contenders in the middleweight division, and puts him in a position for another big fight later in the year. | Official Scorecards
ظهرت في الأصل على www.ufc.com