Paulo Costa has stated that he enjoys fighting Russian fighters, describing them as tough like Brazilians. Costa most recently defeated Roman Kopylov in the octagon. The Brazilian middleweight has also been scheduled for bouts against Russian fighters Ikram Aliskerov and Khamzat Chimaev in the past, though both matchups ultimately fell through. Costa's positive comments about Russian opponents come ahead of his upcoming fight against Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327.
