"I’m on my way to England now" - Paulo Costa teases fight at UFC London next month
Paulo Costa recently offered to replace an injured Darren Till to face Jack Hermansson at UFC London on July 23. A new tweet from the Brazilian middleweight may suggest the UFC has taken him up on his proposal.
Costa hasn't been seen in the octagon since showing up grossly overweight for his fight against Marvin Vettori in October 2021. The fight was originally set to be a middleweight bout, but 'Borrachinha' arrived to fight week so heavy the fight ended up being contested at light heavyweight. This left Costa in bad standing with the UFC, but an offer to step in against Hermansson on just over two week's notice could change things.
On Twitter, Paulo Costa wrote:
"I’m on my way to England now"
I’m on my way to England now ✈️
This tweet comes the morning after 'Borrachinha' offered to replace an injured Darren till on the UFC's July 23 London card.
Call me to step in motherfucker https://t.co/rE5TZiyXZO
Before fans get excited, it's worth remembering that Paulo Costa jokes around on Twitter endlessly, and nothing he claims should be taken as a confirmed fact unless verified by other involved parties. It's nearly impossible to tell if anything Costa says on his social media accounts is serious.
The biggest barrier towards Costa legitimately stepping into the UFC London co-main and fighting Jack Hermansson is his weight. Costa is a massive middleweight, and there's little chance he can successfully cut down to 185 pounds with just two weeks notice.
Costa is also already booked to fight Luke Rockhold on August 20 for UFC 278 in Salt Lake City. The UFC probably isn't willing to cannibalize their pay-per-view event when UFC London is just a Fight Night and still full of popular regional fighters.
Marvin Vettori believes Paulo Costa will miss weight again at UFC 278
Paulo Costa is set to fight Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, and a big question surrounding the bout is whether 'Borrachinha' will manage to make weight. Marvin Vettori was forced to fight Costa at 205 pounds and thinks there's no way the Brazilian fighter makes 185 pounds on August 20.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Vettori trash-talked both Costa and Rockhold, saying:
“Luke is a p***y, bro. That’s all you guys need to know. Luke is a p***y, but I’m gonna give you this: He wanted the fight with Paulo, and Paulo has been b****ing out. I don’t think Paulo can make 185 anymore, but Luke is a b***h. That’s all you guys need to know.”
Watch Marvin Vettori share his thoughts on Costa vs. Rockhold below: