"Where is my thong?" - When Paulo Costa shared hilarious response upon learning UFC ring girls are better paid than most fighters
Paulo Costa had a humorous reaction when he discovered that UFC ring girls are seemingly earning more than some of the fighters.
When UFC middleweight fighter Uriah Hall announced his retirement in August 2022, he voiced concerns about the payment structure for fighters in the MMA promotion. Hall alleged that certain ring girls employed by the UFC earn more than some of the fighters in the organization.
During an interview in 2022, 'Prime Time' said:
"I know people that are making $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win, which is ridiculous because you’re going out there and fighting and you’re putting your brain cells on the line and f**ing ring card girls are making $70,000 which is utterly f**ing ridiculous."
After learning about Hall's assertions, 'Borrachinha', who himself had some disputes over his compensation, humorously tweeted about becoming an octagon girl:
"70$ thousand? Where is my thong?"
Check out Paulo Costa's tweet below:
UFC ring girls have been a significant presence in the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion for years. Considering the ongoing debates surrounding fighter pay, it's surprising that former octagon girls like Arianny Celeste and Camila Oliveira have reportedly earned salaries exceeding five figures.
According to mediareferee.com, a typical octagon girl receives compensation ranging from $1000 to $5000 per fight for pay-per-view events, resulting in an annual income of $20,000 to $50,000. Nonetheless, some octagon girls reportedly earn up to $1 million per year in total income.
Paulo Costa discusses choosing Robert Whittaker over Khamzat Chimaev, aims for a middleweight title showdown with 'Borz'
Despite his upcoming co-main event bout against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, Paulo Costa remains focused on his desire to fight Khamzat Chimaev soon.
Costa and 'Borz' have been involved in a longstanding rivalry that was expected to be resolved at UFC 294 last October. However, 'Borrachinha' had to withdraw from the event due to injury, leading to Chimaev facing former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and securing a victory by majority decision.
During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the 32-year-old Brazilian explained why he opted to face 'The Reaper':
"I was trying to fight Gourmet Chen Chen — Chimaev. Since I could not fight, and he fought against Kamaru — he won, but he didn’t convince anyone I don’t think, me and the people I talk with, at least, and most of the fans I don’t think. I was not convinced he was the guy, the No. 1 contender. So I keep trying that fight, pushing for that fight. 'OK guys, let’s make this fight happen,' and what Hunter and the UFC guys said he’s not going to fight until June or July or something like that."
'Borrachinha' also stated that should he win the middleweight title, his preference is to face Chimaev for his first title defense:
"My dream fight is for the belt against Chen Chen. I have no question about one fight, one matchup against Chimaev. I can bet everything on me. I’m so confident in that fight."
Check out Paulo Costa's comments below (from 5:48):