Alex Pereira has a message for Paulo Costa: keep complaining, and Poatan might just come back and take the title shot himself.
Costa moved up to light heavyweight this past April after years of misery at 185 pounds, and it worked immediately. He knocked out Azamat Murzakanov in the third round at UFC 327, the best performance of his career, and vaulted straight into title contention. Since then, he’s been vocal about the UFC dragging its feet on his next fight, and he took aim at the state of the division on The Ariel Helwani Show.
I’m just gonna say, if Ulberg is gonna be out for so long due to injury, who are they gonna put in for an interim title fight right now?
Part of Costa’s gripe was that Pereira remains ranked at 205 despite moving up. Pereira, who vacated the light heavyweight title chasing a third divisional crown and personally named Costa as the man he wanted fighting for it, didn’t take that quietly.
It is not a provocation! But I see that you’re outdated, and I understand why, because it’s been a while since you signed your contract, and a lot of things have changed.
Then came the warning.
If I want to compete for the light heavyweight belt, I can do this! A lot of fighters are waiting or working to get to that opportunity, and I went and took the opportunity. But now I want something more, which is the third belt. I have to take risks, because, if I hadn’t taken risks in all my struggles, I wouldn’t have conquered all that I have conquered.
Costa’s position is precarious. The 35-year-old is on the final fight of his current UFC deal and turned down a short-notice shot at Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event.
