Paulo Costa is still interested in a match against Khamzat Chimaev, even though his next fight is already set. Costa was supposed to fight Chimaev at UFC 294 in October, but an elbow infection forced him to drop out.
Kamaru Usman, a former welterweight champion, replaced Costa on short notice. Usman ended up losing to “Borz” in a majority decision.
Costa, also known as “Borrachinha,” is now set to fight former champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 on February 17. The fight will be at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Costa initially wanted to fight Chimaev but accepted the match against Whittaker because he didn’t want to wait. He shared his thoughts on Chimaev’s fight against Kamaru on The MMA Hour. According to Costa, Chimaev didn’t convince him or most fans that he is the No. 1 contender.
Costa’s first title bid was thwarted by Israel Adesanya in 2020. He managed to bounce back at UFC 278 with a strange win over Luke Rockhold, who hadn’t won a fight since 2017 and was returning after a three-year break.
Despite this, Costa believes he can secure the No.1 contender status with a win over Whittaker. If he succeeds, his dream fight would be a gold bid against Chimaev. Costa is confident that he can give “Borz” his first professional loss.
Costa expressed his desire for a match against Chimaev, stating that he is very confident in that fight. He believes that it should happen, but acknowledges that it can’t be forced. According to Costa, the UFC tried to push Chimaev to fight him in Abu Dhabi last year, but Chimaev declined three times. Despite a lucrative contract offer, Chimaev did not accept. Costa concluded by saying, “God saved him, just for now.”