Khamzat Chimaev’s one-sided victory over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, made him the new middleweight champion, but not everyone was impressed. Paulo Costa, watching from home, blasted Chimaev’s wrestling-heavy performance as bad for MMA. On “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Costa argued the fight’s lack of action could drive fans away.
A Dominant but Dull Win
Chimaev controlled Du Plessis for 25 minutes at Chicago’s United Center, landing 529 strikes and securing 12 takedowns to win by unanimous decision (50-44). The fight, aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, and ESPN+, saw Chimaev use positions like the crucifix to drain Du Plessis. Costa wasn’t entertained.
“This is a show. This is entertainment,” he said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “This kind of fight, and fighter, has a lot of potential to kill this business.”
He criticized the lack of finishes, noting Chimaev’s approach was more about control than excitement.
Costa’s Issue with the Hype
Costa was shocked by Dana White’s praise at the UFC 319 press conference.
“This surprised me also because at the press conference after the fight, Dana White was (saying), ‘OK, he did amazing,’” Costa said. “No, he didn’t, man. He did horrible. This is horrible for the (viewers). This is not good. I know you make a deal with Paramount and CBS, but people will watch another show, something else. They will not watch these guys hugging each other for 25 minutes. So, this is not good for our sport.”
Costa, a striker with wrestling defense, thinks he can counter Chimaev. He referenced his 2020 fight with Yoel Romero, saying:
“Romero is a high-level wrestler, and very good also. He couldn’t put me down. He tried four or five times, [and took me down] once at the end of the second round, 10 seconds left to finish, but he couldn’t keep me there. The same when I fight Khamzat — the same is going to happen.”
Costa believes Chimaev struggles against true middleweights, unlike smaller opponents he’s finished in the past.
Costa recently claimed Chimaev sent “nasty” Instagram messages to his wife, which Chimaev denied, saying, “Why should I DM somebody’s wife?” on his UFC 319 open workout. Costa responded at UFC 318, saying, “He is lying,” and promised to call out Chimaev after beating Kopylov.
Costa debuted in the UFC in 2017, winning his first five fights, including knockouts over Garreth McLellan and Johny Hendricks. His 2020 loss to Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title was followed by a 2021 defeat to Marvin Vettori. Costa rebounded with a 2023 decision over Luke Rockhold and a 2025 win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318, improving to 15-4 (7-4 in the UFC). His feud with Chimaev began at the UFC Performance Institute in 2022 and escalated when Costa withdrew from their UFC 294 fight due to an elbow infection. Costa vowed to be cageside at UFC 319 but wasn’t.
Chimaev’s win has drawn mixed reactions. Dana White scored it 10-8 for most rounds, expecting more action.
