Former UFC middleweight title contender Paulo Costa said he feels like a ‘monster’ since moving to the light heavyweight division.
Costa made the move up to 205 lbs after spending most of his career fighting at 185 lbs. At UFC 327, Costa took on the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov in the co-main event. Murzakanov entered the bout with a perfect 16-0 MMA record, and he was a heavy betting favorite to win the fight. But Costa showed the MMA world he is a legitimate light heavyweight title contender when he knocked Murzakanov out with a brutal head kick in the third round to take his unbeaten record.
Before the fight, Costa said that he was considering moving back down to middleweight, but after having such a phenomenal performance at light heavyweight, it appears he is staying in his new weight class.
Paulo Costa Feels Like 205 lbs ‘Monster’
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Costa confessed that he feels like a “monster” in his new weight class. He warned UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev that if he moves up in weight, he will be waiting for him, and it won’t be pretty
“I just wish (Chimaev) comes to 205. I’m going to be here with my arms open, waiting for him. This is going to be even worse for him. At 205, I’m a monster. I don’t need to burn any muscle, I don’t need to sacrifice any muscle of my body to make 185. At 205, I have full ‘secret juice’ power. That is going to be tragic for him,” Costa said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Jiri Prochazka Calls Out Paulo Costa
It looks like Costa is indeed going to stay at light heavyweight, and if that’s the case, then he already has someone calling him out. That someone is the former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who requested a fight with either Costa or Magomed Ankalaev when he returns to the Octagon later this year.
For Costa, getting the chance to fight Prochazka would be a big step up in the rankings, so it would likely be a fight he accepts if offered by the UFC. Right now, Costa is ranked No. 7 in the official UFC rankings, with Prochazka ranked at No. 3. You can’t really turn down a fight with someone ranked four spots ahead of you if you are in the title picture, so if the UFC does offer this fight, look for Costa to accept it.
That being said, Prochazka said he wants to return to the cage in October, and it’s possible that Costa will want to fight before then since he didn’t take that much damage against Murzakanov. If that’s the case, then there are other potential ranked opponents at 205 lbs, such as Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., that do not currently have fights. Any of these men makes sense for Costa in his next fight if he wants to fight again soon instead of waiting. It’s also possible he could fight the former champion Ankalaev, another figher who Prochazka called out. Either way, Costa put himself in a great spot in the division when he beat Murzakanov, and now he has other contenders calling him out, which is a good problem to have.
Paulo Costa Feels Like a ‘Monster’ Since Moving to Light Heavyweight Division