Paulo Costa is ready to get back to work. | Getty/UFC
Paulo
Costa wants to keep the momentum going, but it appears that he
and the
UFC aren’t on the same page in that regard.
“Borrachinha” enjoyed a successful light heavyweight debut at
UFC
327, where he finished the previously undefeated Azamat
Murzakanov with a head kick in the third round on April 11. The
victory seemingly opened up a variety of new possibilities for the
Brazilian. Thus far, however, he’s been kept on ice.
Costa’s sense of urgency to get back to work is compounded by the
fact that he is entering the last fight on his current UFC
contract.
The Waiting Game
“Since I defeated Azamat in April, I have been looking for the next
fight,” Costa wrote on X. “I’ve eventually opened the door to fight
at heavyweight. UFC told me to wait…wait… Here we are, it’s already
July, and [I’m] still looking to fight someone else at light
heavyweight, middleweight or even heavyweight but the answer from
[the UFC] by Hunter Campbell is the same: ‘Wait.’
“I want to fight. I don’t want to wait. I have just one more fight
at my contract, and I want this fight happen soon, but for some
reason they don’t.”
Since I defeated Azamat in April, I have
been looking for the next fight. I ve eventually opened the door to
fight at heavyweight. UFC told me to wait…wait…
Here we are it’s already July and I still looking to fight someone
else at Lightheavyweight, middleweight or even…— Paulo
Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA)
June 29, 2026
After a rough stretch from 2020 to 2024 where he lost four of five
UFC appearances, Costa has raised his stock with back-to-back wins
over Roman
Kopylov and Murzakanov. The 35-year-old began his Octagon
tenure on a roll, earning a title shot after five consecutive
victories. “Borrachinha” suffered a second-round stoppage loss to
Israel
Adesanya in a 185-pound championship clash at UFC 253.