Did Paulo Costa get a hair transplant? All about the UFC middleweight's locks
Paulo Costa is one of the UFC's top middleweights and is currently gearing up for a high-profile fight with the division's former champion, Sean Strickland, at UFC 302 this Saturday. However, Costa is not an ordinary fighter, having built himself a significant social media following due to his sense of humour and the persona he projects online.
Another aspect of the Brazilian's popularity is how often he references his own physical appearance. However, a key point of 'Borrachinha's' appearance is his hair. Throughout his career he has alternated between hairstyles, ranging from a full head of hair to a buzzcut.
However, in recent years, another change in his hair was picked up on by the MMA world: Costa was balding. He did, however, take measures to combat this.
Paulo Costa's different hairstyles
Paulo Costa was once an undefeated UFC middleweight with serious title aspirations. He went on a tear at 185 pounds, with his second fight taking place against Nigerian-American, Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC 212.
Check out 'Borrachinha's' buzzcut when he fought Oluwale Bamgbose:
In the fight, 'Borrachinha' was seen sporting a buzzcut, which is different from his usual full head of hair. Costa won the fight via TKO en route to a 13-0 undefeated run that came to a disastrous halt against Israel Adesanya, who he fought for the middleweight title and against whom he suffered his first loss.
Did Paulo Costa get a hair transplant?
Unfortunately, Paulo Costa had started balding some time ago. This caused the Brazilian to seek out medical intervention in June 2021. He underwent a surgical procedure known as a hair transplant to replenish the hair follicles on his bald spot. While his hair is still thinning to some extent, it has improved in fullness.
The Brazilian's procedure was performed by Dr. Pablo Matos Milhomem, who shared pictures of the procedure on Instagram. Despite the care he takes regarding his appearance, Costa has reaffirmed his priority towards capturing UFC middleweight gold. However, he must work his way back into title contention.
He is currently on a poor run of form, having won just one fight in his last four bouts, with his most recent fight being a loss to former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.