Paulo Costa’s ongoing contract issues with the UFC haven’t quite reached the point of an ultimatum yet. Last month, the Brazilian turned down a short-notice opportunity to face Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi, citing the lack of any additional financial incentive despite the difficult circumstances.
With less than two weeks’ notice, a long trip to Abu Dhabi, and a five-round main event waiting for him, Costa felt the offer simply wasn’t worth taking. Then, with an interim 205-pound title fight reportedly shelved for UFC 332 and the promotion rejecting his request to fight for the belt, Costa once again questioned the UFC’s decisions.
Dana White Says Every UFC Fighter Gets Three Fight Offers a Year, Including Paulo Costa
Earlier this month, Costa even asked to be released from his current UFC deal, but the promotion shut that request down as well. That led the Brazilian to take to social media and publicly reveal that he has just one fight remaining on his current contract while sharing some details about the deal.
He wrote, “Okay, I’m making this public and clear: I have one fight left on my contract. The purse is set for three rounds, not five. I’m asking for the three-round fight that was already agreed on contract. It can be anyone on the UFC light heavyweight roster.”
Costa then laid out three options for UFC CBO Hunter Campbell ahead of his final fight. He demanded, “I think [UFC CBO] Hunter (Campbell) has three options now. A) Give me that last three-round fight (I’ll take any opponent). B) Give me a five-round fight at light heavyweight against anyone in six weeks. I’ll take it, BUT raise my purse accordingly. That’s the minimum that’s fair, right? C) Release me from my contract now. Simple and clean. I hope everyone understands.”
Ok, I’m making this public and clear:
I have 1 fight left. On my contract The purse is set for 3 rounds, not 5. I’m asking for the 3-round fight that was already agreed on contract . It can be anyone on the UFC LHW roaster.I think Hunter has 3 options now:
A) Give me that last…— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) September 20, 2026
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The situation even caught the attention of Magomed Ankalaev, who offered to help Costa get through his final contractual obligation by fighting him and potentially making some serious money in the process.
Amid all the back-and-forth, Dana White has now addressed Costa’s long-running issues with the UFC. During the DWCS 93 presser, the bossman pushed back against Costa’s claims that the promotion has been stalling him. White insisted that fighters are regularly offered fights, including Costa.
He revealed, “Oh, yeah. (Paulo is) frustrated, yeah. He’s been offered fights and turned them down. We don’t just say, ‘F*ck Paulo Costa,’ and, ‘You’re not going to get a fight,’ and ‘No, we’re not going to pay you,’ and, ‘No, we’re not going to do this.’”
He added, “Guys get offered three fights a year regularly, even guys who aren’t fighting. Tom Aspinall’s eyes are messed up. He’s getting offered fights. You think Paulo Costa isn’t getting offered fights?”
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Costa has repeatedly pointed to the lack of activity since his most recent win over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 in April. At the same time, the Brazilian has an infamous history of pulling out of fights, which has also played a role in his inactivity.
Still, Costa appears to be back in strong form at 205 pounds, and with just one fight left on his UFC deal, it will be interesting to see how this contract saga ultimately plays out.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
