Khamzat Chimaev attacks Paulo Costa with homophobic slur after UFC 294 withdrawal
Khamzat Chimaev is seething with frustration following Paulo Costa's withdrawal from UFC 294.
Chimaev was originally scheduled for a middleweight showdown against Costa in the co-main event of UFC 294, set to take place on October 21 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
However, the anticipation for this match became shrouded in doubt when 'Borrachinha' revealed that he had recently undergone surgery to address a bursitis infection in his right elbow. Despite Costa's unwavering desire to stay in the bout against 'Borz', news eventually surfaced that the Brazilian had been withdrawn from the fight.
On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced that former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman would be moving up to the 185-pound division. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' agreed to step in on just 10 days' notice to replace Costa and face Chimaev.
UFC 294 has shifted both the main and co-main events in less than 24 hours, with Islam Makhachev facing Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch after Charles Oliveira was pushed off the card due to a terrible cut he sustained in training. Chimaev vs. Usman is now the co-main event, with Costa unable to compete.
Khamzat Chimaev's discontent with Paulo Costa's withdrawal became evident as he recently took to X (formerly Twitter) and targeted Costa with a homophobic insult:
"This g*y talk so much sh*t one year now pull out like a chicken 🐔"
Check out Chimaev's post below:
Khamzat Chimaev under fire for homophobic slurs directed at Paulo Costa
Meanwhile, fans promptly expressed their dissatisfaction with Khamzat Chimaev's use of offensive insults against Paulo Costa, resulting in a wide range of reactions.
One fan wrote:
"Says the guy who fights once a year"
Another wrote:
"Fight Bo Nickal and I’ll buy the PPV"
Check out some more reactions below:
"It was Costa who called him out first tbh"
"He is not a chicken 🐥 he is a juice Maker!! 'Entrepreneur'. He is a great fighter too 💪"
"Imagine saying 'This Gay' 😂"
"You pulled out of the Nate Diaz fight, straight up."
"Usman's gunna smoke u"
"You missed weight by like 15 pounds your last contest on what was supposed to be your first main event… Costa GOT pulled, he didn’t pull- you’ve literally retired before for having the common cold. Yal are not built the same."
