Paulo Costa Explains Where He Currently Stands After Spat with The UFC and Dana White
Former title challenger and current #13-ranked Middleweight Paulo Costa sat down for an interview with Submission Radio. During the conversation, Costa covered a wide range of topics, including his thoughts on the recently announced Middleweight contender matchup between Reiner de Ridder and Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.
He also discussed his own fighting future. When asked about his next bout, Costa replied, “I want to fight before Christmas – maybe November, maybe the beginning of December.” He added that he still needs to speak more with the UFC matchmakers to finalize his plans.
Paulo Costa was also critical of the new champion’s recent title performance on Twitter. When asked about those comments during the interview, he said, “Chimaev is afraid to fight him. He just held the guy for twenty-five minutes. Horrible.”
With Sean Strickland currently facing a suspension, it opens the door for Costa to move up in the rankings. When asked if he’d be willing to fight former champ Dricus Du Plessis later this year, Costa said it would be a good potential matchup.
He also believes his chances are better now due to a reformed relationship with UFC leadership, saying:
“I stopped fighting against the UFC. Now we are friends. Now we are partners. I told this to Hunter and Dana: ‘Hey guys, now we’re partners. Let’s play together.’ So I’m relaxed. I’m chill, right? I’ll let them work on that, and they’re going to bring a good, fun match. I’m 100% in. I’m just waiting on them. They’re going to bring a very fun match for us.”
Paulo Costa’s shaky history with uFC
The shaky history between Paulo Costa and the UFC brass can be traced back to 2019, when he was suspended for six months by USADA due to a prohibited IV. In 2020, the now-infamous “wine incident” occurred, where Costa claimed that drinking a bottle of wine the night before his title fight against Israel Adesanya led to a hangover that contributed to his lackluster performance.
His next scheduled bout, against Italian contender Marvin Vettori, was controversially moved to Light Heavyweight due to Costa’s weight cut issues. As history shows, few things upset UFC leadership more than a fighter missing weight. The situation drew widespread criticism, as Paulo Costa reportedly showed up twenty-five pounds over the agreed limit. He would go on to lose the fight via unanimous decision.
In 2022, Costa posted a private message that UFC President Dana White had sent him, requesting that he take down a post. The message was in response to a meme Costa had created featuring a photo of the UFC President and former Strawweight champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas.
More recently, his fight with Roman Kopylov was mysteriously rescheduled from June to July. While no official reason was given, fans speculated that Costa’s ongoing weight management issues may have played a role.
Now, however, Costa claims to be on better terms with Dana White and the UFC – and with a renewed mindset, he’s aiming to turn the page and reestablish himself as a true contender in the middleweight division.
