Should current plans come to fruition, UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa will bring to an end a one-year layoff at this year’s edition of International Fight Week.
Costa (14-4) went 0-2 last year after returning to action for the first time since a 2022 win over Luke Rockhold. After playing his part in a memorable three-round battle with Robert Whittaker, “Borrachinha” figured in the opposite versus Sean Strickland.
While he also lost via the scorecards to the American former champ, their five-round affair at UFC 302 last June was widely criticized and branded lackluster.
In the aftermath, Costa vowed to return to the all-out aggression that he formerly displayed inside the Octagon. And a recent report suggests he’ll have the chance to do so on June 28.
According to Benny P — an Australian insider who has frequently broken news regarding the likes of Jack Della Maddalena and Robert Whittaker — a clash between Costa and the #15-ranked Roman Kopylov (14-3) is in the works for UFC 317.
Kopylov opened his account for 2025 by stopping Chris Curtis with a last-second head kick at the Apex in January. Having previously outpointed Cesar Almeida, the Russian has now won two straight since Anthony Hernandez handed him his only loss across the past seven fights.
There are currently no confirmed fights for UFC 317 on June 28. But with it set to mark the conclusion of International Fight Week this year, a stacked lineup is expected to take shape.
