"Time to fight Khamzat brother" - Fans throw in names as Paulo Costa asks MMA community to play matchmaker for him

Paulo Costa is currently on the worst stretch of his career and is in desperate need of a win to turn things around. With no fight scheduled, he took to Instagram to request fans' input on who he should next face upon his return. The options were plentiful, though not all were sensible.

The Brazilian bruiser was once an undefeated contender in the middleweight division, authoring a 13-0 record. However, his career has declined massively, with decreased activity and a 1-4 run in his last five fights. With the number of top fighters Costa has lost to, he has run out of options and has turned to the fans.

Fans were quick to flood the comment section of Costa's Instagram post with suggestions. Some, for example, called on him to face rising middleweight striker Sharabutdin Magomedov, who is currently undefeated with a 15-0 record.

"The one eyed pirate Magomedov"

Others, though, sought to reignite the feud between Costa and another undefeated middleweight: Khamzat Chimaev.

"What happened to gourmet Chechen?"

This was echoed by another fan.

"Time to fight Khamzat brother"

Another fan called for a rematch between him and Marvin Vettori, the latter of whom has been contemplating retirement.

"Marvin Vettori 2"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Paulo Costa's matchmaking request

Unfortunately, Costa is unlikely to face Chimaev as some requested. The unbeaten Chechen recently submitted former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker with supreme ease, securing the #3 rank in the division. Costa, by contrast, is ranked outside of the 10 at #11.

With Chimaev's eyes set on a title shot, it is extremely unlikely that he and Costsa will cross paths next, or even at all, given the Brazilian's current career trajectory. A bout with the #14 ranked Magomedov is more likely and sensible for the promotion.

---

Paulo Costa has no wins over anyone fighting in the UFC

When Paulo Costa first arose, he did so off the back of a 13-0 record that earned him a title middleweight title shot against the division's then-champion Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately, he lost in humiliating fashion and has struggled to find his form again. Strangely, though, he has no wins over any current UFC fighters.

Check out Sean Strickland beating Paulo Costa:

His last win was a hard-fought unanimous decision over Luke Rockhold, who has since retired from MMA. Before that, he had beaten Yoel Romero, who is currently fighting in Bellator. He also beat Uriah Hall and Johny Hendricks, both of whom are retired, as well as Oluwale Bamgbose and Garreth McLellan, who are not in the UFC.