Borrachinha appears to have reached the end of his patience. The light heavyweight contender is unhappy with the way the UFC is allegedly treating him. Already frustrated with the way he is being seemingly sidelined from major matchups, Paulo Costa is particularly angry given the way the promotion handled his situation as the upcoming fight between former champion Magomed Ankalaev and Khalil Rountree Jr. unraveled.

Reports now indicate Rountree Jr. has pulled out of the UFC Abu Dhabi main event scheduled for July 25 due to an injury. So, in search of a replacement, the UFC zeroed in on Paulo Costa, who reportedly declined, feeling the notice was simply too short for him to prepare. While the UFC eventually managed to find a substitute in contender Bogdan Guskov, who was previously scheduled for a rematch against Jan Błachowicz, Costa could not hold back from lashing out at what he described as the promotion’s underhanded tactics.

“They called yesterday,” Costa told Ariel Helwani. “But I think it’s so short notice, like less than 14 days, to get a flight to Abu Dhabi. 16-hour flight to Abu Dhabi, five rounds, for the same money, and not even for an interim belt. I don’t think this makes sense right now; it doesn’t make sense.

“I think I just got this fight for so, so, so short notice. Does that make sense for five rounds? Why five rounds? The way that they handed out these negotiations, I think, is not the best way. I think they are pushing good talents away from them. You know, they create a distance; they create, um, kind of beef between fighters and the guy who negotiates. I don’t think this is good. I think we haven’t seen this in the past. Francis was one of these guys. They pushed so hard, and they pushed him away. And they gave him two big events like MVP, PFL… I don’t think this is the correct approach.”

For a fighter who marked his return to 205 pounds with a TKO win over Azamat Murzakanov in April, that frustration largely centers around the belief that he has been receiving the short end of the stick from the UFC regarding his contractual terms.

Since that statement win, he believes he has been deliberately sidelined. Taking to social media, Costa wrote bluntly about how he had been looking forward to a matchup since beating Murzakanov. But to no avail. Despite his willingness to even fight at heavyweight, he has been told by the UFC to hold on.

Even with the calendar now entering July, his wait for a match in any of the weight classes, be it heavyweight, light heavyweight, or, for that matter, middleweight, does not appear to be ending, Costa claimed.

Saying, “I want to fight; I don’t want to wait,” Costa even went on to highlight how he has just one fight left under his contract with the UFC, which he wants to happen at the earliest possible opportunity.

“I think they will not give me a fight if this is going to be my last. Unless I re-sign a long-term new deal… So it means I need to re-sign a contract with a company just to fight for an interim belt,” he explained later before claiming that he wants to finish up his contract, or else the UFC should come up with a good offer.

The Brazilian fighter believes the UFC’s hesitation to reach out to him could be because he is in a better position, negotiation-wise, than they are.

Paulo Costa’s standoff with the UFC gains support

While it may be the most serious stance Costa has taken against the UFC, it may not be the first, it seems.

He openly expressed his displeasure when, following the stoppage victory over Murzakanov at UFC 327, Costa missed out on the $100k performance bonus. With Fight of the Night honors going to Josh Hokit vs. Curtis Blaydes, the Performance of the Night awards instead went to Carlos Ulberg and Josh Hokit.

Expressing his frustration, Costa wrote to Dana White, claiming that he deserved the one hundred thousand dollar bonus.

Months earlier, during an interview with Helwani, Costa had spoken about how he was reportedly barred from attending UFC 319 because of his ongoing feud with Khamzat Chimaev.

Adding another layer to the situation is the historical precedent of the UFC reportedly using contract extensions and delayed fight bookings to keep fighters at bay when they either reach the end of their contract or demand higher pay.

The most notable example is one highlighted by Costa, that of Francis Ngannou. While he publicly criticized the promotion over pay and contractual restrictions, the Cameroonian-French fighter remained inactive as champion for months as the negotiations stalled, eventually leading him to leave the UFC and become a free agent.

Likewise, Nate Diaz had also publicly complained about the UFC not giving him his final fight. Claiming the promotion was keeping him “hostage,” Diaz eventually found himself matched up again with Khamzat Chimaev in what was supposed to become the final fight of his deal. Only, the fight never materialized, as Chimaev missed weight, and Diaz ended up facing Tony Ferguson instead.

Viewed in that context, Costa has surprisingly received support from the man he was supposed to fight – Magomed Ankalaev.

Responding to Costa’s interview with Helwani, the Russian former champion claimed that he can circle back for a matchup with Costa by October or November after he is finished with Guskov.