Paulo Costa is not done pursuing a fight with Khamzat Chimaev, and he has a very specific vision for how it should happen.
Costa moved up to light heavyweight and knocked out the previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327, establishing himself as a genuine presence at 205 pounds while keeping his eyes on the middleweight champion. The two have been on a collision course in conversation for some time, but a fight has never materialized, given that Chimaev has remained at 185 pounds.
Costa’s solution is straightforward: Chimaev should come up to meet him.
I just wish he comes to 205,” Costa told Submission Radio. “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.
The callout is not without logic from Costa’s perspective. Chimaev has discussed the possibility of moving up to light heavyweight at various points, and Costa’s argument is that facing him at 205 would only amplify his own advantages while removing the physical toll that a middleweight cut has historically placed on him.
Chimaev is currently preparing for his first title defense against former champion Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event on May 9 in Newark, New Jersey. The undefeated middleweight champion carries a 15-0 record into the fight, while Strickland is 30-7 and looking to reclaim the gold he previously lost to Dricus du Plessis.
