Following his victory at UFC 318, UFC middleweight standout Paulo Costa immediately set his sights on one particular opponent.
Paulo Costa, a former UFC middleweight title challenger, snapped a nearly three-year winless streak at UFC 318. In a hard-fought battle, he defeated Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision, ending his two-fight losing skid.
This marked Costa`s first win since his unanimous decision victory over former UFC champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. His previous Octagon appearance at UFC 302 resulted in a split decision loss to Sean Strickland.
With his return to the middleweight contender picture, Costa`s post-fight focus at UFC 318 was squarely on one individual.
Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa`s Rivalry Intensifies After UFC 318 Challenge
During the week leading up to UFC 318, Costa made serious allegations, claiming that undefeated middleweight Khamzat Chimaev had sent threatening direct messages to his girlfriend. Costa stated that Chimaev`s messages to his partner suggested she `should look for a better man` prior to their initially planned bout at UFC 294.
Chimaev publicly refuted Costa`s claims via social media. However, following his win, Costa reiterated his accusations and vowed to relentlessly pursue Chimaev.
During his post-fight interview at UFC 318, Costa launched a scathing verbal attack on Chimaev.
“Everyone knows I despise that man, everyone knows that [expletive] Chimaev,” Costa declared. “He`s a complete jerk, and my wife is right here—he messaged her directly. This is unacceptable, truly despicable. But he never dared to message me, because he`s a coward. Chimaev, I will prove to you why you are a coward. I am here, I will seek you out, I will chase you, and I will not rest until I get my hands on you!”
Chimaev quickly took notice of Costa`s recent remarks.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Chimaev responded to Costa’s aggressive post-fight challenge.
“It was she who wrote to me, habibi [LAUGHS],” Chimaev posted.
Chimaev is scheduled to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 319 next month. Remaining undefeated in his MMA career, Chimaev secured this title shot with a dominant victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October.
Jon Jones Praises Paulo Costa After UFC 318 Victory
As Costa comfortably secured his decision victory at UFC 318, former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was among those leading the social media praise from fans. Jones specifically lauded Costa`s “freaking deadly” leg kicks, commending the performance of the UFC 318 winner.
Jones had announced his retirement from MMA last month following extensive contract negotiations with UFC officials regarding a fight with Tom Aspinall. However, he has since reversed that decision, now aiming for an Octagon return at the UFC`s anticipated event at The White House next year.
Jones has re-entered the UFC`s drug testing program, signaling a serious intent for a comeback in 2026. His last fight was a successful heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
Jack Thornley