UFC middleweight Paulo Costa might be looking for a way out of the UFC.
In the middleweight division, the top five fighters are all very talented and anyone could easily be in contention for a title shot soon. Paulo Costa is sitting right outside the top five at number 6 but looks as if he may be seeking opportunities elsewhere. Costa recently shared a series of Tweets insinuating that he may be looking to leave the UFC in the near future.
Costa came to the UFC back in 2017 and worked himself up to a title shot in 2020. He has compiled a record of 6-2 since joining the organization and has become of of the more popular fighters on the roster. Costa was rumored to be facing Robert Whittaker in Perth Australia in February but Costa has denied those rumors. He has expressed that he is on the last fight of his contract and could be looking for an out.
Paulo Costa has turned down a new contract from the UFC
Costa wrote on social media recently that he only has to complete one more fight to be free of the UFC. This would have some believe that he has no desire to stay and could be looking at other opportunities outside of the UFC. Many fighters have been taking to other promotions such as PFL when their UFC contracts are up. Another option could be to head to boxing, which Costa has expressed interest in before. It seems as though the UFC would like to keep him on and offered him a multi-fight contract. Costa turned it down.
so I politely declined. they offer a 6-fight deal, but I'm not interested in a multi-fight deal.
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 8, 2022
“So I politely declined. They offer a 6-fight deal, but I’m not interested in a multi-fight deal,” he wrote.
The fact that he is not interested in a multi-fight deal could show that he is leaning toward a UFC departure. He has been critical of the UFC pay structure in the past and could be willing to test free agency. He won his last bout against Luke Rockhold after losing two in a row including a title shot against Israel Adesanya. With a new champion at the top of the 185-pound division, it seems that there could be a lot of opportunities for someone like Costa if he chooses to stay.
