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UFC middleweight Paulo Costa fancies Khamzat Chimaev‘s chances against Alex Pereira but believes the matchup will never happen.
Costa has in recent months established himself as one of Chimaev’s key agitators, with the duo almost having almost come to blows during a fracas at the UFC PI in September. The bad blood between Costa and Chimaev had many fans calling for the pair to meet in the Octagon, but that possibly has seemingly fizzled.
Chimaev, who has famously straddled the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions, felt that a matchup with Costa was beneath him owing to the fact that Israel Adesanya had already “f***** him up in the ass” during their middleweight title fight in 2020. The Chechen-born Swede now has his eyes set on Adesanya’s recent conqueror, middleweight champ Alex Pereira.
Paulo Costa Laughs Off Chance Of Pereira Vs. Chimaev Happening
Earlier this month, Chimaev stated that despite the UFC actively attempting to lock him into a matchup with Colby Covington at welterweight, he wants to step up to middleweight to face Pereira in his native Brazil.
It’s a prospect that Costa, in a recent interview with Submission Radio, said has a laughable chance of happening. The 31-year-old literally chuckled at the possibility of Pereira vs. Chimaev, but if the matchup were to happen, he believes it wouldn’t go well for his fellow Brazilian.
“He [Chimaev] want to beat Alex [Pereira] in Rio,” said Costa, laughing. “He smart! I think if he fought Alex, it will be a big problem to Alex because Alex has no grappling, you know. MMA bro…it’s so different to kickboxing. I think the odds is against Alex if the fight happens, but I don’t think he will be down, I don’t think that the fight will happen.”
Costa also noted Khamzat’s opportunism in wanting to fight Pereira and not himself.
“I try to fight him [Chimaev]. I ask him to fight him couple weeks ago, he said, ‘No, I am still at 170 [pounds], are you not go to 185 [pounds]?’ but he saw huge opportunity to get the belt easily.”
As for Costa’s next fight, a matchup with Robert Whittaker was recently reported to be in the works for UFC 284 in February. But the Brazilian has since stated that the matchup isn’t official, hinting that his next fight may not be in the UFC at all.
Do you agree with Paulo Costa’s thoughts on a potential Pereira vs. Chimaev matchup?
UFC middleweight Paulo Costa fancies Khamzat Chimaev‘s chances against Alex Pereira but believes the matchup will never happen.
Costa has in recent months established himself as one of Chimaev’s key agitators, with the duo almost having almost come to blows during a fracas at the UFC PI in September. The bad blood between Costa and Chimaev had many fans calling for the pair to meet in the Octagon, but that possibly has seemingly fizzled.
Chimaev, who has famously straddled the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions, felt that a matchup with Costa was beneath him owing to the fact that Israel Adesanya had already “f***** him up in the ass” during their middleweight title fight in 2020. The Chechen-born Swede now has his eyes set on Adesanya’s recent conqueror, middleweight champ Alex Pereira.
Paulo Costa Laughs Off Chance Of Pereira Vs. Chimaev Happening
Earlier this month, Chimaev stated that despite the UFC actively attempting to lock him into a matchup with Colby Covington at welterweight, he wants to step up to middleweight to face Pereira in his native Brazil.
It’s a prospect that Costa, in a recent interview with Submission Radio, said has a laughable chance of happening. The 31-year-old literally chuckled at the possibility of Pereira vs. Chimaev, but if the matchup were to happen, he believes it wouldn’t go well for his fellow Brazilian.
“He [Chimaev] want to beat Alex [Pereira] in Rio,” said Costa, laughing. “He smart! I think if he fought Alex, it will be a big problem to Alex because Alex has no grappling, you know. MMA bro…it’s so different to kickboxing. I think the odds is against Alex if the fight happens, but I don’t think he will be down, I don’t think that the fight will happen.”
Costa also noted Khamzat’s opportunism in wanting to fight Pereira and not himself.
“I try to fight him [Chimaev]. I ask him to fight him couple weeks ago, he said, ‘No, I am still at 170 [pounds], are you not go to 185 [pounds]?’ but he saw huge opportunity to get the belt easily.”
As for Costa’s next fight, a matchup with Robert Whittaker was recently reported to be in the works for UFC 284 in February. But the Brazilian has since stated that the matchup isn’t official, hinting that his next fight may not be in the UFC at all.
Do you agree with Paulo Costa’s thoughts on a potential Pereira vs. Chimaev matchup?
Click here to view the article.
Costa has in recent months established himself as one of Chimaev’s key agitators, with the duo almost having almost come to blows during a fracas at the UFC PI in September. The bad blood between Costa and Chimaev had many fans calling for the pair to meet in the Octagon, but that possibly has seemingly fizzled.
Chimaev, who has famously straddled the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions, felt that a matchup with Costa was beneath him owing to the fact that Israel Adesanya had already “f***** him up in the ass” during their middleweight title fight in 2020. The Chechen-born Swede now has his eyes set on Adesanya’s recent conqueror, middleweight champ Alex Pereira.
Paulo Costa Laughs Off Chance Of Pereira Vs. Chimaev Happening
Earlier this month, Chimaev stated that despite the UFC actively attempting to lock him into a matchup with Colby Covington at welterweight, he wants to step up to middleweight to face Pereira in his native Brazil.
It’s a prospect that Costa, in a recent interview with Submission Radio, said has a laughable chance of happening. The 31-year-old literally chuckled at the possibility of Pereira vs. Chimaev, but if the matchup were to happen, he believes it wouldn’t go well for his fellow Brazilian.
“He [Chimaev] want to beat Alex [Pereira] in Rio,” said Costa, laughing. “He smart! I think if he fought Alex, it will be a big problem to Alex because Alex has no grappling, you know. MMA bro…it’s so different to kickboxing. I think the odds is against Alex if the fight happens, but I don’t think he will be down, I don’t think that the fight will happen.”
Costa also noted Khamzat’s opportunism in wanting to fight Pereira and not himself.
“I try to fight him [Chimaev]. I ask him to fight him couple weeks ago, he said, ‘No, I am still at 170 [pounds], are you not go to 185 [pounds]?’ but he saw huge opportunity to get the belt easily.”
As for Costa’s next fight, a matchup with Robert Whittaker was recently reported to be in the works for UFC 284 in February. But the Brazilian has since stated that the matchup isn’t official, hinting that his next fight may not be in the UFC at all.
Do you agree with Paulo Costa’s thoughts on a potential Pereira vs. Chimaev matchup?
Costa has in recent months established himself as one of Chimaev’s key agitators, with the duo almost having almost come to blows during a fracas at the UFC PI in September. The bad blood between Costa and Chimaev had many fans calling for the pair to meet in the Octagon, but that possibly has seemingly fizzled.
Chimaev, who has famously straddled the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions, felt that a matchup with Costa was beneath him owing to the fact that Israel Adesanya had already “f***** him up in the ass” during their middleweight title fight in 2020. The Chechen-born Swede now has his eyes set on Adesanya’s recent conqueror, middleweight champ Alex Pereira.
Paulo Costa Laughs Off Chance Of Pereira Vs. Chimaev Happening
Earlier this month, Chimaev stated that despite the UFC actively attempting to lock him into a matchup with Colby Covington at welterweight, he wants to step up to middleweight to face Pereira in his native Brazil.
It’s a prospect that Costa, in a recent interview with Submission Radio, said has a laughable chance of happening. The 31-year-old literally chuckled at the possibility of Pereira vs. Chimaev, but if the matchup were to happen, he believes it wouldn’t go well for his fellow Brazilian.
“He [Chimaev] want to beat Alex [Pereira] in Rio,” said Costa, laughing. “He smart! I think if he fought Alex, it will be a big problem to Alex because Alex has no grappling, you know. MMA bro…it’s so different to kickboxing. I think the odds is against Alex if the fight happens, but I don’t think he will be down, I don’t think that the fight will happen.”
Costa also noted Khamzat’s opportunism in wanting to fight Pereira and not himself.
“I try to fight him [Chimaev]. I ask him to fight him couple weeks ago, he said, ‘No, I am still at 170 [pounds], are you not go to 185 [pounds]?’ but he saw huge opportunity to get the belt easily.”
As for Costa’s next fight, a matchup with Robert Whittaker was recently reported to be in the works for UFC 284 in February. But the Brazilian has since stated that the matchup isn’t official, hinting that his next fight may not be in the UFC at all.
Do you agree with Paulo Costa’s thoughts on a potential Pereira vs. Chimaev matchup?
Click here to view the article.
