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If you missed the action at UFC 327, Paulo Costa secured a third-round knockout victory over Azamat Murzakanov while Donald Trump watched from cageside. But that wasn’t all, as things became even more interesting when Costa scaled the fence and spoke to the president. What’s more, their interaction made its way to X.
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Although Costa has kept the details of their exchange under wraps, footage of the interaction suggests Trump complimented the Brazilian on his looks and even suggested that he could pursue a career in modeling. Since then, Trump has taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to further congratulate Costa and share a bold prediction about his future.
“Congratulations to Paulo Costa on a Great UFC Fight last night in Miami,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He will absolutely be a future Champion. It was great talking to him outside the ring after his Big Victory last night in Miami! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
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“Thank you very much, Mr President, @potus @donaldjtrumpjr @realdonaldtrump for the high praise words about me and the great conversation,” Costa wrote back on X. “Was a huge pleasure meeting and [fighting] in front of your audience. GOD BLESS YOU.”
Paulo Costa, currently ranked No. 14 in the middleweight division, has yet to capture a UFC title. His biggest opportunity came in September 2020, when he challenged Israel Adesanya for the belt, but suffered a decisive and one-sided defeat. That loss marked the beginning of a rough stretch, with Costa dropping three of his next four fights.
Thank you very much Mr president @potus @donaldjtrumpjr @realdonaldtrump for the high praise words about me and the great conversation. Was a huge pleasure meeting and fight in front of your audience. GOD BLESS YOU. pic.twitter.com/YG26N4ylLk
— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) April 13, 2026
However, the Brazilian has since regained some momentum with back-to-back victories. Even so, a title shot still feels some distance away. That said, with public support from Donald Trump, who shares a well-known rapport with Dana White, there’s always the possibility of a fast-tracked rise. If things fall into place, Costa could find himself back in the title conversation, potentially squaring off against the division’s feared force, Khamzat Chimaev, somewhere down the line.
And considering his own claims, that’s exactly the fight he wants.
Paulo Costa is eager to fulfill Donald Trump’s prediction
After winning at UFC 327, the Brazilian didn’t waste time calling out his next opponent. And if he gets this fight and by some miracle manages to win, he will fulfill Trump’s prediction. If that hasn’t already given it away, Paulo Costa called out Khamzat Chimaev.
“I have a lot of names, but I have beef with [Khamzat] Chimaev,” Costa said. “I call him ‘Gourmet Chechen.’ I’d like to fight him.”
Costa, of course, fought Murzakanov at light heavyweight. So, rather than dropping back down, Costa is open to facing Khamzat Chimaev at his new weight class.
“We can do it here [at light heavyweight],” he stated. “Whatever the UFC thinks is going to be an exciting fight.”
But for Costa to fulfill Trump’s prediction, he needs to face Chimaev at middleweight, where he is the champion. If Khamzat Chimaev moves up, he will have to relinquish the belt. In any case, Chimaev has previously expressed openness to moving up to light heavyweight. But he might not be willing to do it for Costa.
More importantly, Chimaev hasn’t defended his title even once since acquiring it by defeating Dricus Du Plessis in a mind-numbingly boring fight. Chimaev is currently scheduled to face Sean Strickland in his first title defense at UFC 328 next month.
Regardless of whether Paulo Costa lands a fight against Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight to fulfill Trump’s prediction, he appears to have aligned himself with the right person. Do you think this will make his path to a title easier?
Written by
Edited by
Deepali Verma