Paulo Costa claims UFC boss Dana White gifted him Rolex watch for accepting 'fake Ikram [Aliskerov] fight’
Paulo Costa posted a picture of himself online, to which a fan intriguingly asked if he was wearing a Rolex on his wrist. Costa, in response, claimed that it was gifted to him by UFC president Dana White for accepting a 'fake Ikram Aliskerov fight.'
"Dana gifted me for that fake ikram fight."
Check out his tweet below:
@DovySimuMMA Dana gifted me for that fake ikram fight
Paulo Costa, after signing a multiple-fight deal with the UFC, was scheduled to face Ikram Aliskerov at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, at UFC 291. The bout was canceled later and it was revealed that Costa had been booked for a high-voltage middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October this year.
Khamzat Chimaev is a fighter with much bigger clout and hype and 'Borrachinha' clashing with him instead of Aliskerov could get more traction for their fight. Chimaev (12-0) is undefeated and a very aggressive combatant inside the octagon, whereas Costa has a professional record of 14-2. 'Borz' is returning to the octagon after a year in October this year and a win over Costa could consolidate his place as a formidable title challenger in the middleweight division of the promotion.
Khamzat Chimaev plans to make it hard for Paulo Costa at their fight at UFC 294
Khamzat Chimaev is a bold and energetic MMA fighter who has called out fighters from multiple weight classes. The Chechen-Swede is currently preparing himself for a war against Paulo Costa at 185 lbs. While speaking to TNT Sports on the sidelines of UFC London, Chimaev resolved to make Costa cry in the octagon.
"I’m going to make that guy cry in the cage, like I always do...I make everyone scared. [Kamaru] Usman said, ‘He’s the boogie man,’ and all these guys think that about me, but when it comes to the fight, they have some surgeries, some problems."
Watch the video below (0:26):
After Costa's bout with Ikram Aliskerov got canceled, his repeated callouts to Khamzat Chimaev bore fruit and their fight was booked for UFC 294. 'Borrachinha' presents Chimaev with an opportunity to stay in pursuit of a title shot. He will look forward to issuing a strong statement when he enters the octagon in the middleweight division at UFC 294 against Paulo Costa.