Paulo Costa says he's ready to fight next week despite being on medical suspension
In a surprising development, Paulo Costa recently revealed that he is ready to make his way back to the octagon sometime next week.
In a recent post on Instagram, Paulo Costa revealed the extent of his recovery. He also claimed he was back in training after a short layoff after nursing the injuries he had suffered in the fight against Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 196.
"I can fight next week if I want. But Marvin, who was my opponent, can't, unfortunately for him. It was good to be back to training." [Translated from Portuguese by Google Translate]
The news comes as a pleasant surprise. Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori walked out of the octagon last week with significant battle scars. The degree of their injuries earned them a six-month layoff from the sport. However, Costa's fast-track recovery prompted him to take a shot at Vettori and his inability to return to the fold as fast as the Brazilian.
How long is Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori's medical suspension?
The UFC middleweight behemoths put on an absolute barnburner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Marvin Vettori managed to outbox Paulo Costa and took the win via unanimous decision, both fighters suffered their fair share of injuries.
Paulo Costa was looking at a 180-day layoff. What's more, it was revealed that he needed an X-ray of his right foot. He also needed to get his left eye cleared by an ophthalmologist.
Marvin Vettori (190) and Paulo Costa (163) combined for 353 significant strikes landed, the 4th largest count in UFC history and the largest count ever not featuring Max Holloway, per UFC Stats. https://t.co/41iyC39KcY
Marvin Vettori, on the other hand, is looking at a similar suspension. He was required to get an MRI for his right knee and X-rays for both his forearms.
Suspensions at UFC Fight Night 196 were handed out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They were revealed to the public by the official record keeper for the Association of Boxing Commissions, per Mixedmartialarts.com.