Dana White is in awe of Paulo Costa’s victory over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327.
Costa and Murzakanov shared the Octagon in the co-main event of this past Saturday’s pay-per-view in Miami. Murzakanov was the betting favorite ahead of fight night, but “Borrachinha” proved that he’s a new threat in the light heavyweight division.
In the third round, Costa scored a head kick that sent Murzakanov crashing down to the canvas. The referee had seen enough to stopped the fight. Costa has now won two straight bouts.
Speaking to reporters during the UFC 327 post-fight press conference, White praised Costa for his ability to finish fights.
“The thing with a guy like Costa is he comes in and he tries to knock people out,” White said. “Huge, massive win for him tonight. This might be the biggest win of his career tonight. He beat an undefeated 16-0 guy who was absolutely confident he was gonna beat Costa, and he looked good. Did it impressively, and like you said, it sets him up for a lot of fun fights.”
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Costa said it doesn’t matter whether he stays at 205 pounds or returns to middleweight. He simply wants to keep bringing “fire” inside the Octagon. With his showing against Murzakanov, the UFC brass might want to keep “Borrachinha” at light heavyweight.
Costa had been on shaky ground for a moment, going 1-4 in his last five outings before defeating Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision. Now that he’s followed up that victory with a finish over Murzakanov, Costa suddenly has new life. Some wonder if Costa can even return to title contention if he stays at 205 pounds.
Do you think Paulo Costa should stay at light heavyweight following his big win over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327? If so, who should “Borrachinha” fight next? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.