Paulo Costa pushes fantasy matchup with nearly retired UFC veteran after Sean Strickland call-out

Paulo Costa is currently coming off a decision win over Luke Rockhold that ended a two-fight skid. Costa is now seemingly plotting a clash against yet another veteran.

'Borrachinha' recently called for a middleweight booking against fan favorite Nick Diaz, labeling it a people's choice matchup. Costa also promoted a potential clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. 'Borrachinha' wrote in the caption:

"Give to people what people’s wants"

Paulo Costa's callout to Diaz came in the immediate aftermath of a callout from middleweight contender Sean Strickland. Focusing on an almost-retired Diaz in the face of an offer from Strickland might not reflect well on 'Borrachinha'.

Diaz last fought Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021, returning to the octagon after a three-year hiatus. The Stockton native didn't appear to be in his best shape and simply refused to get up after a knockdown, forcing an end to the contest 44 seconds into round 3.

UFC president Dana White has said that he doesn't want to see Diaz fight again.

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Paulo Costa claims the UFC pays Brazilians lesser

Paulo Costa is currently embroiled in a contract dispute with the UFC regarding his salary. 'Borrachinha' has even pulled out of a scheduled UFC 284 clash against Robert Whittaker, demanding higher pay.

Additionally, Costa claimed to have turned down a six-fight contract extension as he already regrets signing a similar deal back in 2017. 'Borrachinha' even went as far as accusing the UFC of paying Brazilian fighters less.

According to Paulo Costa, the promotion undermines the need of Brazilian fighters due to a gap between their currency and the US dollar. Costa said during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour:

“I think they just actually offer very low numbers for Brazilians. Maybe they think, ‘Ah, those motherfuckers in Brazil, they live in the jungle, they don’t need real money because the currency’s like five times less than dollars, so let’s pay bullshit.' At some point, I should say stop, I will not do that. But I didn’t, because we’re Brazilians — we just want to fight. We don’t care too much. If you are good at something, don’t do it for free — or for shit money.’ I did a lot in the past, and it’s enough.”

Catch Costa's comments below: