Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title contender, Paulo Costa, hasn’t competed since his UFC 226 knockout win over Uriah Hall back in summer 2018, thanks in part to his suspension from New York State Athletic Commission.

But that doesn’t mean “The Eraser” isn’t going to delete Yoel Romero when they collide at the upcoming UFC 241 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for this Sat. night (Aug. 17, 2019) inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“Believe me, I’m going to knock him out,” Romero told BJPenn.com. “And if he isn’t smart, I’ll take him down and submit him. One year I don’t fight but this won’t impact my performance. I train like I fight. When I do sparring, it is the same as a fight. In the last two months, I’ve basically had 12 fights as I had 12 sparring sessions. The sparring I have is even harder than the fight. My distance, my timing is great.”

Costa (12-0) certainly has the stats to back it up. In 12 trips to the cage, the Brazilian beefcake has scored 11 knockouts and one submission, making him one of the most dangerous (and fan friendly) fighters on the roster.

As for Romero (13-3), he knows a thing or two about knockouts, as well. The Cuban power-puncher has 11 finishes of his own, including a pair of near-death experiences over former champions Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold.

Who goes to sleep this weekend in Anaheim?