"He is another level of world leader" - Paulo Costa heaps praise on Russian president Vladimir Putin

Paulo Costa has never been afraid to speak his mind. He recently took to Twitter to share his admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The Brazilian has been criticized in the past for his outspoken nature and unusual beliefs. While he has been considerably quiet compared to his normal self, controversy has found its way back to him after his recent tweet.

While it has since been deleted, in a random act of support for Vladimir Putin, the 30-year-old shared his thoughts:

"Vladimir Putin is not a weak leader like Biden or Macron. He’s a former military man who has already been stabbed in the belly and survived. He is another level of world leader. Do you know another Leader who has the same characteristics past?"

Putin is at the center of controversy as the war brought on in Ukraine by his country continues to affect innocent Ukrainians. Despite this, Paulo Costa believes the president to be a strong leader due to his bold personality and his history in the army.

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What's next for Paulo Costa?

Having not won a fight since 2019, 'The Eraser' is on a two-fight losing streak and will be desperate to get back to winning ways in his next outing.

Costa was unbeaten at 13-0 before his meeting with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, which he lost via knockout in the second round. The animosity between the two continues to rage on to this day and the heavy-hitter would love to fight his way back for a shot at UFC gold.

Although nothing is official as of yet, reports suggest Paulo Costa will soon put pen to paper and sign a contract to face Luke Rockhold. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion openly called out the Brazil native during a recent interview and seemingly fancies his chances in that matchup.

If a fight with veteran Luke Rockhold doesn't come to fruition, considering all his options, a potential meeting with either Derek Brunson or Sean Strickland could be the ideal next move for Costa.

The Team Borracha representative hopes to refind the form that led him to an undefeated run early in his career and ultimately a UFC middleweight title shot. His second run at the championship could start the next time we see him locked inside the octagon.