Dana White feuding with fighters is nothing new in the UFC. While the Francis Ngannou saga remains one of the most talked-about disputes in recent memory, it wasn’t the only one laced with tension. In fact, Paulo Costa also once aimed at the UFC boss. And the reason? You guessed it! Classic contract drama, with Costa making his frustrations very public.
Costa said on X in December 2022 that he had turned down a six-fight UFC deal because he wasn’t interested in a long-term contract. Later, “The Eraser” said that the UFC offered him a four-fight deal worth about $500,000, or about $125,000 per fight. He thought this was a huge understatement of how much he was worth. Costa was so angry that he even thought about switching to boxing. But Dana White turned the tables in a startling way.
During an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys by Barstool Sports, Dana White didn’t hold back, slamming Paulo Costa as a “lunatic” multiple times for allegedly misrepresenting contract figures. White claimed Costa’s numbers were the “furthest f–ing thing from the truth.” But in a twist, Costa’s manager Tamara Alves revealed in a March 23, 2023, interview with Ag. Fight that the Brazilian had signed a new deal worth over $1 million per fight.
After years of fighting, Costa seems to have moved on from his tumultuous relationship with Dana White. He earlier tweeted his support for the UFC boss, but in a recent interview with Nina Marie Daniele, “The Eraser” said he admired him even more before his fight with Roman Kopylov at UFC 318.
MMA: UFC 278- Costa vs Rockhold, Aug 20, 2022 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Paulo Costa red gloves reacts after defeating Luke Rockhold blue gloves during UFC 278 at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports, 20.08.2022 22:00:00, 18905959, NPStrans, Luke Rockhold, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeffreyxSwingerx 18905959
Costa said, “Of course, I love Dana White! Dana White is the best in the business, and you know, he always treated me very well. I even feel bad that I had beef with him. In the past, I said bad things. Sorry Dana. Now, I just appreciate it. I’m glad, I’m so grateful. You’re the boss, you know everything. Great guy, I’m a super fan. “
Even though there was a lot of bad blood between them, Dana White still believed that Paulo Costa might make a comeback. Now, it looks like the two have a new, more respectful relationship. No one knows if that connection will last, but for now, Costa seems to have moved on to a different rivalry, one that may be even more intimate. So, let’s get into that next.
Paulo Costa blasts Khamzat Chimaev over sending dm’s to his girlfriend
Paulo Costa might be a little more fired up than usual ahead of his UFC 318 co-main event showdown. The Brazilian recently revealed that Khamzat Chimaev who’s currently slated to face Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August. Allegedly sent some disrespectful messages about him to Costa’s girlfriend on Instagram. And now, ‘The Eraser’ made it clear that their fight needs to happen in the near future.
Costa on UFC 318 media day said, “I want to fight him very badly. I want to hurt him. It doesn’t matter if he won the fight or not; it doesn’t matter. We need to fight. He talked very bad things about me to my girl on Instagram DM’s. This is totally personal. I feel angry just to hear his name, so we need to fight.”
Well, if ‘The Eraser’ pulls off a win at the Smoothie King Center, it would give him some much-needed momentum. But whether that sets up a long-awaited clash with Khamzat Chimaev, after their canceled UFC 294 bout, that’s still a bit of a stretch. Costa would likely need a few more convincing wins to truly earn that shot, especially if ‘Borz’ captures the title against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319.
If Chimaev loses, though, that could crack the door open for a grudge match. But Israel Adesanya has also thrown his name into the mix, expressing interest in facing Costa again. With all that said, do you think Paulo Costa will eventually get his shot at Khamzat or even the middleweight strap? Or will the decline continue? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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