Paulo Costa

Did You Know?

• Costa was suspended for six months by USADA and CABMMA for receiving prohibited IV infusions after weigh-ins at UFC 212 and UFC 217.
• Costa showed up twenty-five pounds over the middleweight limit for his fight against Marvin Vettori, which was originally scheduled as a middleweight bout.
• He handed Azamat Murzakanov his first professional loss via head kick TKO in the third round at UFC 327.
• Costa's fight against Yoel Romero at UFC 241 earned him a Fight of the Night award and was ranked #3 Fight of the Year by UFC.com in 2019.

Background

Paulo Costa came into the world in 1991, the son of Carlos Roberto and Maria Augusta. His older brother, Carlos Costa, a former mixed martial artist, now coaches him. Raised in Contagem, Costa played football as a kid and took up Muay Thai at nine to gain discipline and steer clear of the street fights he kept getting into. As a teen, he trained jiu-jitsu with his brother but stopped after their father died of throat cancer when Paulo was 17. A couple of years later, he returned to the sport, competing under his brother, then a purple belt. To support his mother, Costa taught Microsoft Word and Excel as an IT instructor and worked in real estate.

Mixed martial arts career

Costa made his professional MMA debut in Brazil in February 2012. His brother convinced their mother to support Paulo financially for a year to pursue his career. Over the next five years, Costa compiled an 8–0 record with 7 knockouts and 1 submission. He was selected for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, where he defeated José Roberto via guillotine choke in the second round.

Chosen by coach Wanderlei Silva, he then lost to Márcio Alexandre Jr. via split decision. Costa made his promotional debut on 11 March 2017 at UFC Fight Night 106 against Garreth McLellan, winning by TKO in the first round and earning his first Performance of the Night award. He faced Oluwale Bamgbose on 3 June 2017 at UFC 212, winning by TKO in the second round. After that fight, the UFC offered a new contract, but the parties did not agree on financial terms.

The UFC then proposed a fight with former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, with a promise to renegotiate afterward. Costa faced Hendricks on 4 November 2017 at UFC 217, winning by TKO in the second round, and subsequently signed a new multi-fight contract. He was scheduled to face Uriah Hall on 21 April 2018 at UFC Fight Night 128 but pulled out with an arm injury. The pairing was rescheduled for 7 July 2018 at UFC 226, where Costa won by technical knockout in round two, earning his second Performance of the Night award.

Costa was scheduled to face Yoel Romero on 3 November 2018 at UFC 230, but Romero indicated in mid-August that his medics recommended waiting four to five months for facial injuries to heal. The bout was rescheduled for 27 April 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 8, but Costa was removed for an undisclosed reason. Romero then pulled out due to pneumonia, and Costa was scheduled to face Ronaldo Souza, but a USADA investigation prevented Costa from participating, so neither competed in the event.

Controversies

In May 2022, police in the Belo Horizonte area of Brazil questioned Paulo Costa about an altercation with a nurse over a COVID-19 vaccination card. Costa said he had already been vaccinated but needed the card signed to show it, and he asked the nurse to do so. The nurse stated Costa had not been vaccinated and refused to sign, claiming he tried to leave with the completed card without getting the shot. She said she held his arm to stop him, and he elbowed her in the face, swelling her lips. No charges were brought.