Paulo Costa has fought five rounds for three prices.
The Brazilian strongman has one fight left on his UFC contract and wants to compete as soon as possible. But here’s a caveat: He only wants a three-round fight … unless the UFC is willing to sweeten the bank with money or a title win.
Costa has taken his fight with UFC suitors into the open, tweeting his displeasure with the offers he has received through the promotion. When asked if “Borrachina” will fight soon, UFC CEO Dana White says declared dismissively they had offered him fights, but Paulo had turned them down.
“Yes, I have been offered great opportunities,” Costa wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “5 rounds in Doha. 5 rounds in Abu Dhabi with 6 days notice. 5 rounds in Salt Lake City. And somehow they all have the same promotion: PAY 3, GET 5.”
“Amazing deals,” he concluded. “Hard to pass.”
The sarcasm is clear: Costa feels himself used up and the days of exploitation are over. We can appreciate a fighter taking a stand against this obviously wild UFC loophole that allows them to offer a five-round fight without proper compensation for a potential 10-minute fight. Costa, on the other hand, signed this contract and is stuck with the current terms.
Costa has previously said the UFC could book him for three rounds, pay him more or release him. But they could also just offer him five rounds of fights, which he turns down, leaving him in contractual purgatory until someone blinks. And the UFC is happy to continue without Paulo on the cards while Costa is 35 years old and in the prime of his career at a time when the free agency is hotter than ever.
Who blinks first? We’re tempted to guess Costa, but it is the man who sat out a year and a half earlier, returning with a purse over a million dollars about the fight. So here’s hoping he defies the odds again and gets what he wants: either a three over or a decent pay for five.
