Paulo Costa's manager confirms 'Borrachinha' will stay at middleweight
Paulo Costa's manager, Wallid Ismail, has confirmed the UFC middleweight contender will remain in the 185-pound division.
UFC president Dana White previously said Costa would have to fight in the light heavyweight class moving forward. That was after the Brazilian failed to make weight for his main event clash against Marvin Vettori in October 2021.
However, Ismail recently told Sherdog reporter Marcelo Alonso that White has since changed his mind. He apparently did so because he knows 'Borrachinha' was injured leading up to to UFC Vegas 41.
"The UFC is not the biggest fighting company in the world by chance. They know that ‘Borrachinha’ was injured and that's why he had problems with his weight. There is no doubt his next fight will take place in the middleweight division. We will fight whoever the UFC decides. I keep believing that ‘Borrachinha’ will be the champion. He just has to train right. His biggest problem is that he trains too much. If he trains correctly, I have no doubt no one in that division can beat him," said Ismail.
Watch Wallid Ismail give an update on his client Paulo Costa on the PTV YouTube channel below:
Paulo Costa hasn't fought more than once in a calendar year since 2017
Paulo Costa hasn't been very active in the UFC of late. After fighting three times inside the octagon during his debut year in 2017, he has contested just one bout each year ever since.
In 2018, he suffered an arm injury before facing and beating Uriah Hall via TKO at UFC 226. The following year, he was suspended for six months by USADA for receiving prohibited intravenous infusions.
Costa returned in August 2019 to square off against Yoel Romero and triumphed via unanimous decision at UFC 241. 13 months later, the unbeaten 'Borrachinha' unsuccessfully challenged middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 253.
His scheduled fights against fellow-ranked middleweight contenders Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier were canceled in 2021, before he agreed to an encounter with Marvin Vettori.
What a fight! 😤
Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa went hammer and tongs for five rounds like we know they would!
Toughness and heart on display from the Italian Dream! https://t.co/30AOQF0sb0