Paulo Costa, who previously challenged for the UFC middleweight title, has announced that he has reached a financial agreement on a new contract for four fights with the organization led by Dana White.
This comes after a turbulent period in which there were issues with his previous contract. Costa, currently ranked #5 in the middleweight division, was scheduled to fight former undisputed champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 284 in February. But the fight was ultimately cancelled.
In August of last year, Paulo Costa, from Belo Horizonte, put an end to his two-fight losing streak by defeating former undisputed middleweight champion Luke Rockhold with a unanimous decision victory. The veteran ex-titleholder was unable to overcome Costa’s skills.
Costa’s most recent fight was at UFC 278 in August, where he engaged in a thrilling Fight of the Night with former champion Luke Rockhold. This was the last fight on his previous UFC contract.
Paulo’s dissatisfied with his pay
Following his previous fight, Costa has expressed his dissatisfaction with his pay in interviews. He claimed that he had been receiving the same amount since his debut with the promotion five years ago.
Additionally, the UFC prematurely announced a fight between Costa and former champion Robert Whittaker in November, which Costa later provided clarification on.
Despite these obstacles, it seems that Costa is close to finalizing a new contract with the UFC. Thanks to the assistance of his manager and girlfriend, Tamara Alves.
“I haven’t signed the contract yet but we have reached a deal with the UFC regarding the pay,” Costa told PVT in Portuguese. “It wasn’t easy, there was a lot of hard work. I have to highlight Tamara’s brilliant work here.”
Paulo Costa vs Khamzat Chimaev: The Next Big Fight
Paulo joined the UFC in 2017, boasting an unblemished record of eight professional victories. In his first four UFC fights, he defeated all of his opponents, including former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
He earned a title shot after beating Yoel Romero, but his undefeated streak came to an end in his championship bout against Israel Adesanya, who defeated him by stoppage. In his next fight, he suffered a decision loss to Marvin Vettori.
Costa was able to turn things around in his most recent fight against Luke Rockhold, and he is now looking forward to his next challenge.
🚨 REMINDER 🚨
Paulo Costa easily dismantles Khamzat Chimaev at Middleweight. pic.twitter.com/HutAKuTI7T— Colblander 🌴🛡️ (@TheColblander) March 23, 2023
Although Paulo has not yet signed the new contract with the UFC. He has expressed interest in some significant fights in the division. Khamzat Chimaev, who is planning a move to middleweight, claimed that Costa “ran away” from a fight with him.
Sean Strickland also told MMA Junkie that he would defeat Costa and “f*ck him like Izzy.” However, Costa has indicated that he is prepared to face both opponents this year.
“(The UFC) wants to make sure this Chimaev fight happens at all costs. But I want to make both happen,” Paulo said. “We’ll see.”
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