Paulo Costa responds to Sean Strickland, says 'Hunter Campbell doesn't want' them to fight each other

Paulo Costa is approaching the end of his UFC contract and despite being desperate to part ways with the promotion, the middleweight has insisted that the company is refusing to match him up against Sean Strickland.

'Borrachinha' has been a great addition to the UFC roster and is always an exciting fighter to watch in the cage, but he remains unhappy with his situation and wants to search for new pastures. To do this, he must fulfill the final fight of his contract, but he seemingly has been having a hard time finding a reasonable opponent.

In response to Sean Strickland's comments, Paulo Costa insisted that the UFC is refusing to pit the two middleweights together as they believe the Californian will be outmatched by the Brazilian.

"We're trying so hard [to] fight you but UFC thinks he's [an] easy fight. As you know, I'm in my last fight of the contract, so they want someone to beat me [and] Hunter doubts you can. I suggest you try to convince [him], he thinks you're not tough enough. I'll be praying for this... And shut up motherf***er."

Last time out, Strickland managed to cut his two-fight losing streak by overwhelming Nassourdine Imavov after taking a fight with the prospect on short notice.

The 32-year-old will now be aiming to spearhead his way through the middleweight rankings and has his eyes set on a potential clash against Costa, though it seems the UFC isn't as interested in the matchup as the two fighters are.

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Paulo Costa's UFC exit: What's next for the Brazilian?

An entertaining and lovable character like Paulo Costa will likely have a large number of options at his disposal after he makes his UFC exit, but who would be interested in the powerhouse?

Bringing the fight each and every time he steps foot into the cage, 'The Eraser' has dynamite in his hands and is willing to stand and bang with anybody, making him an asset to any combat sports promotion in the world.

With its current surge in popularity, the PFL could be a destination for the 185er as he could fight his way towards their $1 million prize. Another possibility is to put MMA on hold and pursue a big-money fight in the boxing world, a place where he could be successful with his destructive knockout power.