'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAEEAwACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFABEiBhIhMVEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEEQEAAgMAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhEABTEDIiP/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AI55LVeL0cOgh19WwzOmSofvMW0HilmM0p1wALJ6c2Nka+tZnaxiqjWEtk722+4jh0oTyojlIT8D8GMYNXCMvGWX69W3uXbGSSUo+lUAHDP/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Paulo Costa is an interesting character, to say the least. At one point in time, he was an undefeated bruiser who was on the warpath toward the middleweight throne. Unfortunately, 'Borrachinha' came up short against the then reigning 185 lbs kingpin Israel Adesanya. He suffered a second-round TKO loss in humiliating fashion.
He has since lost to Marvin Vettori in a light heavyweight bout after refusing to honor the catchweight agreement that was in place due to the original middleweight limit being discarded before eventually rebounding with a win against former champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278.
Unfortunately, issues with how much money the UFC was willing to pay him became more pronounced, causing him to withdraw from a bout with former titleholder Robert Whittaker. Now that the Brazilian has come to an agreement with the UFC over a new deal, there are five opponents he could face.
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#5. Paulo Costa vs. Dricus du Plessis
Dricus du Plessis is one of the most exciting fighters in the middleweight division. He possesses a breadth of knockout power and athleticism. While the technical side of his game has defensive holes, he makes up for it by trying harder than anyone who dares to step inside the octagon with him.
The South African recently defeated Derek Brunson via second-round TKO in a back-and-forth bout. The win earned him the No.6 ranking in the UFC middleweight hierarchy. This placed him right below Paulo Costa, who sits on the No.5 ranking. Thus, a matchup between the two is only natural.
While du Plessis claims that 'Borrachinha' avoided him at one point, that statement could easily be used to market a potential matchup between the two if there's even a grain of history between them.
#4. Paulo Costa vs. Jared Cannonier
Both Paulo Costa and Jared Cannonier have an opponent in common. The two men froze in front of Israel Adesanya in their failed attempts at dethroning the Nigerian striking specialist during the former kickboxer's championship reign. Furthermore, the pair were once scheduled to fight before 'Borrachinha' withdrew.
Jared Cannonier is ranked right above him at the moment. The matchup could be exciting given their stylistic differences. The former heavyweight is a patient power puncher who waits for his opponents to march toward him before he counters them with devastating knockout blows.
Meanwhile, Paulo Costa is the opposite. The Brazilian is a pressure fighter who strives to sandwich his opponents between himself and the fence as he batters them with body kicks and clubbing hooks. His intention is always to overwhelm and break down his foes en route to a TKO victory. This is a recipe for a collision that may very well only end with a finish.
#3. Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker
Before the Brazilian's year-long sabbatical from the octagon, 'Borrachinha' was originally scheduled to face former champion, Robert Whittaker. The Australian is an exceptionally skilled middleweight who has managed to defeat nearly everyone he has faced besides Israel Adesanya.
Unfortunately, disagreements with the UFC ensued, causing Paulo Costa to reject the bout agreement after 'The Reaper' began training for the bout. Now that he has agreed to a deal with the promotion, the most sensible bout for Dana White is to book the previously-scheduled clash between Costa and Whittaker.
The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 284, but fell through, depriving Robert Whittaker of fighting on home soil during Alexander Volkanovski's spirited bid at dethroning Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately, the opportunity never came his way and the bout remains in the ether.
#2. Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa are both among the most vocal fighters on social media. So knowing that 'Borrachinha' openly mentioned the American as an opponent he is considering upon his return to the octagon, gives an extra element of excitement to a potential buildup to their clash.
While the pair may very well lead to an entertaining leadup to their matchup, so too would their actual clash. The Brazilian bruiser is a pressure fighter who cuts off the cage and uses a left hook to the body and a right roundhouse kick to the body as barriers to keep his foes from circling away from him.
He traps them in front of him and forces them to engage in slugfests they're ill-equipped to win. Meanwhile, Strickland is a volume-puncher who drowns his opponents in a neverending offense to intercept them every time they come forward. Costa only ever comes forward, thus promising a barrage of blows from both sides.
#1. Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Last year, Khamzat Chimaev was originally scheduled to be the centerpiece of an entire event that was organized as a showcase for the undefeated Chechen phenom. He was booked to face Nate Diaz in one of the most favorable matchups in UFC history. The pair were going to headline UFC 279.
Instead, their scheduled clash never took place. Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by a tremendous amount, forcing the UFC to reorganize their bouts. Prior to the incident, 'Borz' had a physical confrontation with Paulo Costa after 'Borrachinha' predicted a win for Nate Diaz before branding 'Borz' as a fake gangster.
This infuriated 'Borz' enough that he tried to brawl with the Brazilian at the UFC Performance Institute. Since then, Costa has expressed a public interest in facing Chimaev inside the octagon. A potential grudge match between the two men would be the most interesting bout that the UFC can schedule for 'Borrachinha'.
