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Paulo Costa recently disclosed who he would like to fight next and made it clear that he wants the toughest matchups in the division. His next bout will be significant as his back is against the wall in terms of needing a crucial win to remain in the top-10.
The Brazilian is currently the No.8 ranked UFC middleweight looking to get back into title contention after suffering a pair of losses to top contenders Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. 'Borrachinha' was at one point a highly touted unbeaten prospect, however, he is 1-4 in his past 5 bouts dating back to his title fight against Israel Adesanya in 2020.
During his appearance on MMA legend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, the Brazilian disclosed who he would like to fight when he returns to the octagon. Costa named Chris Curtis after the latter had expressed interest, and Khamzat Chimaev, who was originally scheduled to fight last year, and noted that he doesn't want any easy bouts. He said:
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"Chris Curtis...He's calling me out as well. But, somebody else maybe, I was trying [to fight Khamzat] Chimaev, but [UFC] put him against [Robert] Whittaker...I have called [out] some fights but the Sean Strickland [fight], they just offered me. I'm always looking for the hardest fights possible."
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Check out Paulo Costa's comments below:
Paulo Costa shares thoughts on Luke Rockhold's jiu-jitsu
In addition to discussing his next bout, Paulo Costa shared his thoughts on Luke Rockhold's jiu-jitsu after competing against him in 2022. The bout took place at UFC 278, which saw the Brazilian earn a unanimous decision win.
The unanimous decision also happened to be 'Borrachinha's most recent win as he has since lost back-to-back fights. During the aforementioned appearance, Costa complimented Rockhold for being a talented fighter, but wasn't too happy with his antics during their bout. He said:
"[Rockhold is] very good, he's very good. Just one thing, bro, you remember when he was over me [in the fight]? He spread blood on my face, almost licking my face, so I don't know what he can do [in grappling]."
Check out Paulo Costa's comments regarding Luke Rockhold below:
