Paulo Costa Dismisses Khamzat Chimaev: “He’s Beaten No One”
Paulo Costa has shifted his focus away from Khamzat Chimaev, targeting higher-profile opponents following his victory over former champion Robert Whittaker. Costa, now eyeing a UFC title shot, asserts that Chimaev lacks the credentials to warrant attention, having not defeated any ranked middleweights previously.
The rivalry between Costa and Chimaev dates back to 2022, sparked by a confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute due to Costa’s mocking social media messages. They were scheduled to settle their differences at UFC 294 in October last year, but Costa withdrew due to a severe elbow infection.
Instead, Chimaev faced former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, defeating him by majority decision. This victory placed Chimaev ninth in the middleweight rankings, despite not having beaten ranked opponents in the division. He has since fallen to eleventh place.
Costa, in a recent video, challenged Chimaev to secure a win against a ranked middleweight to gain the respect of his peers.
[table “1” not found /]
18+ | Terms and Conditions apply | Stödlinjen.se | Spelpaus.se | Gamble responsibly
“Everyone knows I don’t like the guy,” Paulo Costa remarked about Khamzat at the UFC 298 press conference. “But I don’t think many take him seriously anymore. He simply stopped fighting – he hasn’t beaten anyone in the middleweight division. He hasn’t defeated anyone in the middleweight division’s top-15.”
“After I defeat Whittaker, I don’t even want to hear his name. To hell with him. He needs to do something. He needs to beat someone in the top – at least the top ten in middleweight. And I don’t think he’s capable of doing that.”
TRENDING
Whittaker is coming off a tough loss to reigning champion Dricus du Plessis but has impressed in previous bouts. Costa has lost two of his last three fights, with his sole victory coming against Luke Rockhold in August 2022.
