Paulo Costa is an entertaining Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Drawn towards athleticism, Costa had to overcome tough times before making it big on the professional mixed martial arts scene. He walked into a professional cage for the first time on February 5, 2012.
In his debut professional showdown, Paulo Costa squared off against Teo Esteves and defeated him by a first-round TKO to start his professional career with a win. After winning his first four fights, Costa fought Wagner Silva Gomes for the Face to Face middleweight title on April 24, 2015, and defeated him by first-round TKO to win the title. Paulo Costa later won the Jungle Fight middleweight championship on September 3, 2016, by defeating Adriano de Balby de Araujo via a first-round knockout.
Paulo Costa defended his Jungle Fight middleweight title once before switching to the elite professional mixed martial arts promotion, the UFC. He made his entry into the promotion riding high on a clinical professional mixed martial arts record of 8 wins and 0 losses. In his promotional debut for the promotion, Costa locked horns with Garreth McLellan on March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum. He won by a first-round knockout and continued his winning momentum. After 5 consecutive victories, Costa received a shot at the prestigious UFC middleweight championship against the then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 253. Costa failed to make the most out of the opportunity and lost by a second-round TKO.
The loss at UFC 253 was the first professional loss of Paulo Costa in mixed martial arts. He is currently ranked No. 7 in UFC middleweight rankings and is scheduled to take on the former UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland in the co-main event of the UFC 302 on June 1, 2024.
Paulo Costa’s Nationality
Paulo Costa is a Brazilian national. He was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He fights out of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and represents Brazil in his professional fights.
Paulo Costa’s Ethnicity
Paulo Costa is from Brazil and was born and brought up in the country by his parents. However, the exact details of his ethnic background are not known. His surname, ‘Costa’ indicates a person who has inhabited a slope or a riverbank. Some sources also trace back the origin of the name to Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Galician, and Italian origins.
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FAQs on Paulo Costa’s Nationality
A. He is a Brazilian national.
A. He was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
A. He is 33 years old.
A. No, he is yet to win a title in the UFC.
A. He is currently ranked No. 7 in UFC middleweight rankings.