Paulo Costa has already been pushing the UFC for his final contract fight, but apparently not like this. Costa and Jan Blachowicz both say the UFC came calling with short-notice Magomed Ankalaev offers after Khalil Rountree Jr. fell out, and both had reasons for not jumping into a five-round UFC Abu Dhabi main event on less than two weeks of runway.
That is the kind of late-notice matchmaking chaos that makes the light heavyweight division feel like someone shook the bracket in a shoebox. Ankalaev needed a replacement for the July 25 headliner. Guskov got the chair. Costa and Blachowicz are now explaining why they were not sitting in it.
Costa said on The Ariel Helwani Show that the UFC called him on Sunday about facing Ankalaev. The Brazilian said the ask was too steep for the same purse, especially with Abu Dhabi travel, a five-round fight, and no interim belt attached.
Watch Costa talk through the offer below.
“But I think he’s so short not like less than 14 days to get a fly to Abu Dhabi, 16 hours fly to Abu Dhabi for five round for the same money and not for entering belt. I don’t think this makes sense right now.”
Costa also said he is currently around 234 pounds and would need about seven or eight weeks to make 205 properly. Coming off his move to light heavyweight, where Costa has already talked up his title position at 205, the math was pretty ugly. Short camp, long flight, elite opponent, same money. That is not exactly a gift basket.
Costa And Blachowicz Put The UFC Offer On Blast
Blachowicz added his own piece on X. The former UFC light heavyweight champion said the promotion offered him Ankalaev before Guskov got the call, but his hesitation over the weight cut cost him the spot.
“UFC offered me to fight Ankalaev first. I wasn’t sure if I’m gonna make the weight. After a couple of hours I confirmed the fight without any catchweight but it was a done deal with Guskov. So now I’m waiting for a new opponent for the UFC Serbia Fight Night.”
A quick updated about my upcoming bout.
UFC offered me to fight Ankalaev first. I wasn’t sure if I’m gonna make the weight. After a couple of hours I confirmed the fight without any catchweight but it was a done deal with Guskov. So now I’m waiting for a new opponent for the…
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) July 13, 2026
That creates a funny little twist because Blachowicz was already booked to rematch Guskov in August before Guskov got bumped into the Abu Dhabi main event. MiddleEasy previously covered Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov being rebooked for UFC Belgrade, and now that fight needs another opponent shuffle because Guskov answered the emergency phone first.
Costa was not shy on X either. He framed the offer like a bad dating app pitch from the fight business, joking that the UFC wanted a non-title fight in 13 days, in Abu Dhabi, over five rounds, for the same money.
Hey I have a great deal for you: NON TITLE Fight in 13 days short notice , Abu Dhabi, 5 rounds , same money , nothing better. 😅
Me: I love u too 🥰
— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) July 13, 2026
Costa also agreed when Helwani asked if the offer may have been tied to his recent public complaints about the UFC delaying the final fight on his deal. Costa said, “That is a good question. I think so,” before criticizing how the promotion handles some negotiations.
So Ankalaev moves on with Guskov, Costa stays out of a short-notice trap, and Blachowicz waits for a new Serbia assignment. The 205-pound picture is still messy, but this much is clear enough: after Ankalaev already had one rough title-fight stretch dissected by his team, asking other contenders to rescue another high-stakes booking with a same-money five-rounder was always going to be a hard sell.
