Is Paulo Costa back in the UFC? Here's everything we know so far

Paulo Costa's contract dispute with the UFC has come to an end after nearly a year of inactivity. The No.5-ranked middleweight recently announced that he has signed a four-fight contract to remain in the UFC while also sharing the two opponents he is hoping to face under his new contract.

Speaking with PVT, 'Borrachinha' broke the news while thanking his girlfriend Tamara Alves, who is also his agent:

"I haven’t signed the contract yet but we have reached a deal with the UFC regarding the pay. It wasn’t easy, there was a lot of hard work, and I have to highlight Tamara’s brilliant work here."

Paulo Costa added that he is in talks to face either Sean Strickland in May or Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this October. He noted that he wants to face both fighters over the course of his new deal, stating:

"I want that, too. [The UFC] wants to make sure this Chimaev fight happens at all costs, but I want to make both happen. We’ll see.”

Check out Paulo Costa's comments below:

Check out the full interview below:

The No.5-ranked middleweight had previously been in a dispute with the promotion regarding unfair pay. He shared that he was looking to become a mixed martial arts free agent while turning down the opportunity to face No.2-ranked middleweight Robert Whittaker at UFC 284.

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Paulo Costa's contract dispute: 'Borrachinha' previously accused the UFC of underpaying Brazilian fighters

Paulo Costa will remain with the UFC for now, even though there was plenty of controversy leading up to his new contract. The No.5-ranked middleweight fighter accused the promotion of underpaying Brazilian fighters while speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:

"I think they just actually offer very low numbers for Brazilians. I don't know what they figure. Maybe they figure, 'ah, that motherf**ker lives in Brazil, the jungle, they don't need real money because the currency is like five times less than dollars so let's pay bulls**t.' That thing that I told you before, the mentality of Brazilians is, 'okay, I agree, let's do.' I did that and I know the Brazilians do that a lot."

Watch Paulo Costa's full comments below (starting at the 9:27 mark):

Costa added that Brazilian fighters are generally willing to do whatever the promotion asks of them without considering the business side of things. While the terms of his new contract have not been released, it is clear that 'Borrachinha' got what he was looking for in negotiations.