The UFC is back at Fight Island with a long-awaited Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa main event – UFC 253 is on! The stage is set for an explosive main event and we’re showing you exactly how to live stream UFC online and watch Adesanya vs Costa (and the rest) this weekend.
Adesanya and Costa both wanted this fight, and they both want that belt even more. Each of these contenders are facing an all or nothing result, with the loser walking away with their first loss and the winner taking the middle-weight championship title.
Adesanya vs Costa: live stream UFC 253
With no in-person spectators, UFC 253 will take place to hit US primetime broadcast slots despite taking place on Fight Island (Yas Island, Abu Dhabi). That means you’ll be able to catch the main card on Saturday, September 26 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT / 3am BST.
Adesanya has gone 8-0 in his UFC career, with Costa trailing with a 5-0 record, but both also hold no losses in MMA terms either.
That makes for a stunning matchup, and one that will see Adesanya’s striking prowess go up against the previously unbreakable power of Costa. One’s quick, the other’s big, and this is exactly where middle-weight matchups are at their finest.
Costa has stepped up to this challenge, and is looking to bring down the UFC’s new poster child with an early wall of brute force. The 185lb Brazilian contender has been ranked second in the middle-weight class since March 2020, so there’s never been a better time for the Adesanya vs Costa matchup to take place.
Read on to learn how to find a UFC 253 live stream – no matter where in the world you are. (If you’re in the US, you can head straight to our dedicated guide to watching UFC 253 in the US).
How to watch UFC 253 from outside your country
If you’re looking for a UFC 253 live stream but you’re currently abroad, you might run into geo-blocking issues. This is when a service detects that you aren’t in the country of the stream’s origin and prevents playback. However, there is a way to enjoy the content you’ve likely already paid for as if you were at home.
A VPN is a piece of software that helps you get around digital borders and regain access to the services you normally use and pay for at home. But which one is right for you?
We’ve tested all of the major VPN services and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. It’s compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use.
Those are just some of the reasons it’s the best all-round Virtual Private Network for streaming events like UFC 253 live from abroad. Another is the fact that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months FREE, so you can see if it’s right for you with no strings attached.
Once you’ve registered and downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to – it really is that easy.
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How to watch UFC 253: Adesanya vs Costa live stream and UK start time
BT Sport has exclusive broadcast rights to UFC events right now, so you’ll want to tune in early Sunday morning to watch UFC 253 online with an Adesanya vs Costa live stream.
That means UK viewers escape the hefty PPV charges that other regions are locked into, and can simply tune into BT Sport 1 at 3am BST on Sunday September 27 for the main card. Head over to the BT Sport website or app to watch UFC 253 online.
If you don’t already subscribe to BT Sport you can pick up a £25 Monthly Pass, which will cover you for tonight’s event as well as all UFC events in the near future as well as the Champions League and Europa League.
You can also access your BT Sport subscription or monthly pass from overseas if you’re away from home. To do that you’ll need a VPN to relocate your IP back to the UK as per our guide above.
How to watch a UFC 253: Costa vs Adesanya live stream in Canada tonight
You can watch a Costa vs Adesanya live stream with plenty of PPV providers in Canada this weekend. You’ll find the full list here, but you can also head straight to Shaw Direct, which is currently offering the fight for CA$64.99.
Tune into the main card event at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Saturday September 26.
How to watch UFC 253: live stream Adesanya vs Costa in Australia
Foxtel Main Event is your go to service if you’re watching from Australia this weekend. Orders are open and priced at AUS$54.95. However, you can also tune in using Kayo Sports, which offers select sections of the fight for free. Plus, there’s a FREE 14-day trial available right now as well.
The main card will take place at 12pm noon AEST on Sunday, September 27.
Costa vs Adesanya live stream: how to watch UFC 253 in New Zealand
You’ll want to get your booking in at Sky Arena if you want to watch a Costa vs Adesanya live stream in New Zealand. The fight is currently priced at NZ$39.95 for access to the main card.
You’ll want to make sure you’re watching ahead of the 2pm NZST start time on Sunday, September 27 to get all the action.
UFC 253 live stream: watch Adesanya vs Costa and Saturday’s full card online
ESPN+ has exclusive broadcast rights to UFC fights in the US right now, which means you’ll need to pick up a subscription to get access to PPV options.
If you aren’t already an ESPN+ member, you can save some cash on your subscription by picking up a UFC bundle for $84.98. That gets you access to UFC 253 ($64.99 for members normally) as well as a year-long subscription to the ESPN+ service (normally $50). If you’re already a member you can pick up that PPV ticket by itself for the usual price of $64.99.
A subscription to ESPN+ also opens up access to live UFC Fight Nights, alongside original content including Dana White’s Contender Series, UFC Destined, and Ariel & The Bad Guy, plus classic fights, replays, and there’s also the perk of fewer adverts.
UFC 253 full card: all of tonight’s fights
MAIN CARD
Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa; Middleweight
Dominick Reyes vs Jan Błachowicz; Light Heavyweight
Kai Kara-France vs Brandon Royval; Flyweight
Ketlen Vieira vs Sijara Eubanks; Women’s Bantamweight
Hakeem Dawodu vs Zubaira Tukhugov; Featherweight
PRELIMS
Brad Riddell vs Alex Da Silva; Lightweight
Diego Sanchez vs Jake Matthews; Welterweight
Shane Young vs Ľudovít Klein; Featherweight
William Knight vs Aleksa Camur; Light Heavyweight
EARLY PRELIMS
Juan Espino vs Jeff Hughes; Heavyweight
Khadis Ibragimov vs Danilo Marques; Light Heavyweight
UFC 253 FAQ
Who are Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa?
Nigerian-born, New Zealand resident Israel Adesanya has made a quick-fire rise through the UFC ranks, going from newcomer to middleweight champ in under two-years. Nicknamed ‘The Last Stylebender, the huge anime fan has a 19-0 career record with an 8-0 in the Octagon. All of those eight UFC victories have come since February 2018.
The 31-year-old claimed his title last October by knocking out Robert Whittaker, with the former kick boxer going on to beat Yoel Romero in March in a highly disappointing fight by decision.
Nicknamed ‘The Eraser’, Paulo Costa, has a 13-0 career record, 11 of those wins coming by knockout.
Charting a similar meteoric rise to Adesanya, the Brazilian made his professional UFC Fight Night debut in March of 2017. A massive man for the 185-pound division, Costa is only middleweight in UFC history to begin his octagon career with four consecutive knockout wins and boasts a 8.43 significant strikes per minute ratio – the highest rate in UFC history.
Who is the favorite to win the Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa fight?
Adesanya’s champion status perhaps hands him the advantage with the bookies, but its not a significant one – the UK’s William Hill place him as -170 favourite with Costa installed as a +150 underdog.
When did Adesanya and Costa last step into the cage?
Adesanya’s last appearance in the Octagon, and his first defence of the title, did some damage to his reputation as one of the sport’s big entertainers with the Kiwi noticeable cagey and unwilling to engage against Yoel Romero in UFC 248’s headline act. Despite the no-thrills performance, Adesanya nevertheless delivered a unanimous points decision.
It’s been over a year since Costa’s last fight, which also came against Yoel Romero, with the Brazilian also going the distance and winning via a unanimous points decision in the UFC 241 clash.
What are the other highlights from UFC 253?
As mentioned above, alongside the main event, there’s also another title fight on the bill, with Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz’s Light Heavyweight showdown.
The card also boasts an exciting Flyweight bout between seventh-ranked Kai Kara-France and Brandon Royval and an intriguing women’s Bantamweight match-up between Ketlen Vieira and Sijara Eubanks, with Vieira looking to get back to winning ways following her first career defeat to Irene Adlana back in December last year.