Paulo Costa was once seen as a surefire future UFC champion, but his career took a sharp downturn. This Saturday, Costa will make his comeback in the octagon against Romakopillov in the UFC 318 co-main event in Louisiana. Since his last fight in June of last year, where he lost by a split decision to former middleweight champion Sean Strickland, Costa has been inactive. The Brazilian fighter aims to regain the form that earned him a title shot against Israel Adesanya back in 2020.
Costa had climbed the ranks with five wins, including victories over Johnny Hendricks and Yoel Romero, leading to his title fight at UFC 253 against “The Last Stylebender.” Before the match, many believed Costa had the best chance to dethrone Adesanya due to his athletic ability and powerful arsenal. The first round was cautious as both fighters gauged each other, but in the second round, Adesanya aggressively targeted Costa’s lead leg and soon seized momentum. Near the end of the round, Adesanya knocked Costa down with a left hook and finished the fight with ground-and-pound strikes.
Following the fight, Costa’s subdued performance raised questions among experts, and he later admitted that his poor showing was due to drinking an entire bottle of wine the night before the fight. Costa explained that his tough weight cut and subsequent overtraining led to severe physical issues, including convulsions and sleeplessness despite trying melatonin. As he prepares to fight again on Saturday, fans hope he avoids similar mistakes to reclaim his standing.
Fan Take: This comeback fight is a critical moment for Paulo Costa, who once held immense promise as a UFC contender. For fight fans, it highlights the intense physical and mental challenges fighters face behind the scenes, underscoring how lifestyle factors can drastically impact performance and shape the future of the middleweight division.
