"Let's go in December" - Paulo Costa agrees with Conor McGregor's claim of Khamzat Chimaev needing to prove more for a title shot
Paulo Costa has sided with Conor McGregor's opinion on Khamzat Chimaev's eligibility for a title shot in the middleweight division.
Initially set to face Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout, Costa had to withdraw from the fight due to a last-minute injury, which resulted in the arrival of Kamaru Usman as his replacement. The stakes were high, as the victor of this bout would earn a title shot against Sean Strickland.
'Borz' demonstrated his exceptional abilities inside the octagon as he secured a majority decision victory over Usman, capping off a three-round middleweight bout.
Following the fight, UFC superstar Conor McGregor took to social media to share his perspective on Chimaev's performance. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that has been deleted now, 'The Notorious' expressed:
"Ya know what, chimaev may need to prove more for a 185lb title shot for me. He must beat a true 185er. Rebook Chimaev vs Costa."
In agreement with McGregor's sentiment, Paulo Costa also joined the conversation, stating that Chimaev should face a legitimate middleweight contender before a title shot.
The Brazilian wrote on X:
"Conor is right, put at least a legit Middleweight fighter. He fought nobody a MW. Only small 170 in short notice. Let’s go in December, I thinks is time enough don’t u think so?"
Check out the post below:
Conor McGregor weighs in on Makhachev vs Volkanovski at UFC 294
UFC superstar Conor McGregor has offered his perspective on the electrifying super-fight that took place at UFC 294 between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.
Originally, Makhachev was scheduled to clash with Charles Oliveira, but an injury sidelined 'Do Bronx.' In a bold and unexpected twist, Volkanovski jumped in on short notice to fill Oliveira's shoes as the main event headliner. The fight marked a rematch of their previous encounter at UFC 284.
While their last encounter went to the judge's hands, the rematch took a dramatically different turn. In the opening round, Makhachev unleashed a breathtaking head kick, flooring Volkanovski. He then followed up with an unrelenting barrage of punches, ultimately securing a TKO victory within the very first round.
Despite the thrill surrounding this stunning finish, Conor McGregor turned to social media to express his thoughts on the fight's conclusion. In a now-deleted tweet, 'The Notorious' noted:
"Refereeing can be a tricky business in this sport. Deciding whether to halt the fight with a warning or a point deduction when [Volkanovski] was already in a precarious state is a tough call. But it would certainly have been a topic of intense debate. Personally, I would have loved to see how it played out. Hits to the back of the head are far from ideal." [H/t:TalkSPORT].