Paulo Costa blames UFC's "lack of negotiation skills" for the fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 284 being canceled

Paulo Costa is seemingly furious at the crowd-favorite bout for UFC 284 getting canceled. Costa looked set to face Robert Whittaker in Australia next year, but the contest will no longer take place.

A bout between the two middleweights would have had MMA fans glued to their screens, but now neither fighter currently has a bout booked at UFC 284.

The outspoken Brazilian has blamed the UFC for the bout falling through. Costa took to Twitter to blame the organization's poor negotiating skills and pettiness:

"Great fights is going down due to lack of negotiation skills, they should stop being petty."

See Costa's angry Twitter post here:

Paulo Costa only fought once in 2022, beating Luke Rockhold via unanimous decision at UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2.

However, the Brazilian has previously stated that he only has one fight left on his current UFC deal and is yet to agree on a new contract with the organization.

'The Eraser' was on a two-fight losing streak in the UFC before beating Rockhold, with Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori both beating the Brazilian.

However, Costa has evolved into a household name in the MMA world, and it would seem unlikely that the organization would want to lose him from their roster.

Watch highlights of Costa's most recent UFC outing here:

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Paulo Costa tops USADA's most-tested list since its UFC inception

Paulo Costa's constant "secret juice" taunts haven't only caught the interest of his fans but also of USADA. The anti-doping agency has tested the Brazilian fighter more than any other UFC competitor since its implementation within the organization.

Costa was tested 97 times by USADA, joined by household names such as Jon Jones, Jiri Prochazka, and TJ Dillashaw. A recent Twitter post by Aaron Bronsteter revealed the extent of Costa's testing:

"Most samples submitted since the implementation of USADA's anti-doping testing of UFC athletes: Paulo Henrique Costa 97, TJ Dillashaw 92, Jon Jones 85, Misha Cirkunov 84, Jiri Prochazka 80."

Paulo Costa joined the UFC back in 2017, facing Garreth McLellan on his debut. The Brazilian has maintained a decent record in the octagon, winning six bouts and losing twice in the organization.

'The Eraser' has high-profile wins against Uriah Hall, Yoel Romero, and Luke Rockhold. However, the Brazilian has failed to secure the UFC title during his career, losing against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 in a championship bout.