Paulo Costa names Khamzat Chimaev as ideal opponent to rediscover his "old" peak: "I need that fight"

Paulo Costa expressed interest in a bout against Khamzat Chimaev as he looks to regain his place in the UFC middleweight title picture. The Brazilian believes a bout between them will allow him to revert back to his older mentality that led him to a middleweight title shot.

'Borrachinha' most recently competed at UFC 302, where he lost a split decision to former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. It was his second consecutive loss as he had lost a unanimous decision to Robert Whittaker in the bout prior, which saw him drop in the rankings.

During his appearance on today's episode of The MMA Hour, the Brazilian named 'Borz' as an ideal opponent for him when he returns to the octagon. He said:

"I think he [Chimaev] is the perfect kind of fighter to bring back the old Paulo. To bring back the [aggressiveness], to bring back the ferocity. I'm [looking] for that. And bro, you can see on my face, I can't wait, bring back this because I need the redemption...I need that fight and Chimaev is the perfect guy. I think he looks a little crazy, so this ought to be a very fun fight."

Check out Paulo Costa's comments below:

Why didn't Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev fight at UFC 294?

Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev have been linked to a potential bout as recently as last October, as they were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 294.

The bout was slotted into the co-main event and could have possibly had major title implications for the winner. Unfortunately, the bout didn't end up materializing as Costa was forced to withdraw because he required elbow surgery due to a staph infection. As a result, former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman stepped in on short notice and fought Chimaev instead.

Check out Dana White's announcement regarding Costa vs. Chimaev falling through below: