- Paulo Costa is said to have allegedly elbowed a nurse in a vaccination clinic in Brazil
Ahead of his fight in August, Paulo Costa may have just had a sudden run-in with the law. News broke that “Borrachinha” has allegedly assaulted a nurse in a clinic in Brazil and a witness has detailed how it happened.
Paulo hurt a nurse over a vaccination card dispute
On Tuesday afternoon, Brazilian news outlet G1 Globo reported that Costa has been arrested following an incident that took place in a vaccination clinic in his hometown Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The report stated that the UFC middleweight contender allegedly elbowed one of the nurses on duty after being called out for attempting to obtain a vaccination card for immunization against the novel coronavirus eve without actually receiving a vaccination.
Costa, however, insisted that he was already vaccinated.
A witness has spoken
According to Marco Mota, a municipal guard who reportedly witnessed the incident, Costa indeed elbowed a nurse and tried to flee the vicinity with a “filled out” vaccination card.
“The [vaccination] card was filled out,” Mota relayed. “The workers said that, at the time of application, [Costa] he did not accept to be vaccinated, he wanted to leave with the card and they did not accept it. At that moment, a nurse was elbowed.”
“He [Costa] said he got the vaccine, but the nurses didn’t let him go out with the card,” he continued. “He said it generated stress, he took the card and left. At that moment, a nurse grabbed him by the arm and he broke free.”
The report added that the nurse whom Costa allegedly elbowed suffered a minor injury on the lips but chose not to seek medical attention. Costa is expected to appear in court later this year with the date to be decided.
Costa is set to make his return to the 185-pound division at UFC 278 against former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. The UFC has yet to comment about the alleged incident.