"They could not make weight together... Secret juice stains on Khamzat's hat sealed the deal" - Fans debate if Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa is the next fight to make
Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa were involved in a heated altercation at the UFC Performance Institute last week, which has been heavily publicized.
Chimaev challenged the Brazilian to fight him on the spot, but things did not escalate as 'Borz' walked away after being held back by his teammates. While Chimaev dismissed a potential bout with 'Borrachinha' during a media interaction, many are eager to watch the two battle it out down the line.
In a Reddit post, fans debated whether Chimaev should meet Paulo Costa inside the octagon. The post received a series of responses as some users argued why it is the next fight to make.
One fan hilariously suggested that the pair would both fail to make weight, referencing Chimaev's weight miss last week and Costa's indiscretion on the scale last october. Another fan proposed that the two meet in a bout with no weight limit.
Some users also explained why the fight wouldn't make sense for Chimaev, who could soon find himself in the title conversation.
Check out some of the fan reactions below:
Paulo Costa believes Khamzat Chimaev is scared to fight him
Paulo Costa has accused Khamzat Chimaev of only fighting smaller athletes.
During a conversation with TheMacLife, 'Borrachinha' stated that the Chechen-born Swede is afraid to fight him because of his massive size. Here's what the Brazilian said:
"I know you just want to fight small guys, short guys, shy guys like Burns. Guys who you can beat and be a bully, but I’m not. I’m a big one, I’m the biggest middleweight in the UFC so you cannot bully me. When you show up, I will be here, ready for you because you are a ‘Gourmet Chechen,’ you are a fake gangster so that’s it."
Watch Paulo Costa discuss Khamzat Chimaev below:
Paulo Costa has one fight left on his current UFC contract. The Brazilian bounced back from back-to-back losses through 2020-21 with a decision win over Luke Rockhold last month. Costa seems more than excited about a fight against Chimaev down the line. However, the 'Borz' appears to have other plans.
Chimaev extended his winning streak to a perfect 12-0 with a shutout performance against Kevin Holland at UFC 279 on Saturday.
The No.3-ranked welterweight has been quite vocal about becoming a two-division champion. However, there's been no indication of which weight class the 28-year-old will be fighting in next.