Paulo Costa has evidently been thinking a lot about how his matchup with bitter rival Khamzat Chimaev would play out inside the UFC Octagon.
The cancellation of Costa’s clash with Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023 only added fuel to the fire of their rivalry, and the heat has continued to pick up this year.
While Chimaev has his current focus on Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight title, talk of a grudge match with ‘Borrachinha’ returned to the surface this month after Costa defeated Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 to return to winning ways.
Back-and-forth over alleged messages the Chechen sent to his Brazilian foe’s girlfriend has only increased the animosity, and Costa is confident that he will make ‘Borz’ pay when the time comes.
Paulo Costa gives detailed breakdown of future Khamzat Chimaev showdown
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Costa provided an incredibly detailed breakdown of exactly how he would get the better of the next middleweight title challenger inside the cage.
No man has yet cracked the puzzle that is the undefeated Chimaev, including a past opponent he shares with Costa in Robert Whittaker. While the Brazilian dropped a decision to the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi headliner, Chimaev crushed Whittaker in one round.
Costa, however, believes he has figured out a clear path to victory over ‘Borz’.
“This is pretty easy, and I am gonna break (it) down,” Costa said, when asked how he envisions a fight with Chimaev going. “I can see this very clearly in my mind right now, how it is gonna happen.
“He will be very stressed, anxious, and angry against me, okay? Once the fight starts, he will come, feint some punches, and he’s gonna shoot instantly on my legs.
“I am gonna spend some time defending his takedowns,” Costa continued. “He’s gonna try, try, try, push, push, push. I think after one minute, maybe one and a half, he is gonna be exhausted. His arms and shoulders will be heavy, heavy like a heavyweight.
“Then he will realize he didn’t put my back on the mat…and he will be heavy and slow. Maybe I will not finish him in the very first round. I am gonna let him gas out, everything that he has, until he will be a dead man walking in the second round.”
That is when Costa would plan on beginning an onslaught.
“Then I am gonna hit his belly as much as I can (with) front kicks, body shots, until I see he wants to give up,” Costa said. “When I see that, I am gonna start to hit his face and make him uglier than he is.”
Paulo Costa will be close by for Khamzat Chimaev’s title challenge
Costa’s push for a rearranged battle with Chimaev looks likely to take him to Chicago next.
During his post-fight press conference in New Orleans, Costa revealed his plan to attend UFC 319 to perhaps boost his chances of facing ‘Borz’ next, regardless of whether he beats champion Du Plessis.
“I was locked in, 100 percent focused on this fight,” Costa said of his win at UFC 318, before beginning to look ahead.
“Yes, I plan to do that (attend UFC 319 in Chicago). I plan to do that. If the UFC allows me, I will be there in Chicago in a few weeks,” he added.
Chimaev will challenge Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319 at Chicago’s United Center on August 16.