Paulo Costa isn’t just chasing a win this Saturday, he’s gunning for payback. The former middleweight title challenger is set to face Roman Kopylov in the co-main event of UFC 318 in New Orleans, and he’s entering the Octagon with more than just rankings on his mind. Costa wants Khamzat Chimaev next, and he’s made it clear that this callout goes beyond business.
Costa has lost four of his last five fights–including his loss to Sean Strickland–, but he’s not interested in fading into the background. A win over Kopylov keeps him relevant, and it also sets the stage for a fight he’s been chasing for years.
“I want to fight [Chimaev] very badly,” Costa said at UFC 318 media day. “I want to hurt him. It doesn’t matter if he won that fight or not. It doesn’t matter. We need to fight. He talk very bad things about me, in my girl’s Instagram DMs, so this is totally personal.”
The beef between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev has been simmering since their scrapped UFC 294 matchup. Costa pulled out due to an elbow infection, and Kamaru Usman stepped in on short notice. Chimaev narrowly defeated Usman by majority decision, but that win didn’t erase the animosity between him and Costa. According to Costa, Chimaev crossed a line that can’t be ignored.
“Dirty things,” Costa said, describing the messages. “Like, ‘You should look for a better man,’ something like that. Not the kind of things a real man, confident man would do. Why he message her? Why he didn’t message me instead of her? Coward. He is a coward.”
Chimaev is scheduled to headline UFC 319 on August 16 in Chicago, challenging middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. While Costa isn’t making any bold predictions for that fight, he doesn’t see Chimaev cruising to a title.
“It’s hard to predict something, but I think Dricus is more solid,” Costa said. “He can resist the very first rush from Chimaev, ‘Gourmet Chen Chen,’ and then we never know after the third round how Chimaev can maintain, sustain his energy.”
For now, Costa has to focus on Kopylov, who comes into the fight with momentum. Kopylov has won six of his last seven and has looked sharp in his recent outings. But for Costa, Saturday night is more than just a comeback, it’s a setup for something bigger.
“I feel angry just to hear his name, so we need to fight. We are young, we’re going to be on line, so I’m going to do my best Saturday. … I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the victory and I’m going to call his name, it doesn’t matter whether he wins or not. This fight just will not happen if he retires.”
A win at UFC 318 doesn’t just put Paulo Costa back in the mix, it reignites a personal grudge that’s been burning for far too long.
