"I'm about to see you" - Marvin Vettori calls out Paulo Costa for trying to 'find a way out' of their UFC Fight Night main event
Marvin Vettori is seemingly worried about Paulo Costa bailing out of their upcoming main event bout.
Marvin Vettori's recent tweet seemingly throws shade at Costa's tendency to back out of fights.
"This guy @BorrachinhaMMA trying to find a way out but you found a real fighter. Im about to see you."
Paulo Costa is set to face Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori on October 23. The bout could have significant implications for the middleweight division.
Both fighters are coming off losses to reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. However, with a lack of new contenders in the division, 'The Last Stylebender' may be forced to pick from opponents he has already beaten.
Adesanya is set to rematch Robert Whittaker in 2022, and should he defend his belt, Vettori or Costa could be next.
Is Paulo Costa a 'flight risk'?
There have been no reports of Paulo Costa trying to back out of his fight against Vettori. However, considering Costa's track record this year, the Italian cannot truly be blamed for feeling this way.
Having backed out of two fights on the trot, Paulo Costa has not enjoyed a particularly productive time in the octagon this year.
The Brazilian was initially scheduled to butt heads with Robert Whittaker in April. However, he bailed out of his middleweight clash against the Australian citing medical reasons. It was subsequently revealed that Costa had taken ill and was exhibiting symptoms of severe flu.
Costa was then booked to face Jared Cannonier in August. However, he decided to pull out again, citing issues with his remuneration.
Costa also revealed that he had not signed a fight contract with the UFC, claiming the promotion decided to announce the bout regardless. The Brazilian took to social media with a series of questions seeking an explanation from the UFC.
Paul Costa's last fight in the octagon was against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253. After a hostile build-up, the Brazilian underwhelmed in a TKO loss to the reigning middleweight champion. Costa later endured much criticism for the several excuses he made to justify his lackluster performance.