Paulo Costa has stated that he enjoys competing against fighters from Russia. In his most recent bout, the Brazilian defeated Roman Kopylov. Costa has also been previously scheduled to face Ikram Aliskerov and Khamzat Chimaev in fights that ultimately did not materialize. The post is brief and does not provide Costa's specific reasoning for his preference. His track record includes both completed and cancelled matchups with Russian competitors.
Paulo Costa has revealed that he has a particular affinity for fighting Russian opponents, a preference backed up by a recent win and a pair of high-profile bouts against Russian-linked fighters that never came to pass.
Costa, 35, carries a 16-4-0 record in the middleweight division, where he currently sits ranked thirteenth. The Brazilian out of Team Borracha is one of the more aggressive strikers in the weight class, landing an impressive 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. His most recent outing ended in a victory over fellow middleweight Roman Kopylov.
Kopylov, a 34-year-old Russian fighting out of Raty Team, entered that bout ranked fourteenth at 185 pounds with a record of 15-5-0. The southpaw lands 4.59 significant strikes per minute and carries a 75-inch reach, making him a dangerous opponent on the feet.
Beyond the Kopylov fight, Costa has history — albeit incomplete — with Russian fighters on his schedule. A matchup with Ikram Aliskerov was previously arranged but did not take place, and a bout with the highly ranked Khamzat Chimaev also fell through. Chimaev, who fights out of the UAE and trains at Allstars Training Center, is currently the number-one-ranked middleweight and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings at 15-1-0. The 32-year-old is a dominant wrestler, averaging 5.29 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside 60 percent striking accuracy.
Why it matters
- Costa's stated preference signals he may actively seek Russian opponents going forward, shaping his near-term matchmaking
- A future booking against Chimaev would carry significant divisional weight given the gulf between their current rankings at thirteenth and first
- The middleweight division is deep, and Costa's fight history with Russian competitors gives him a defined lane of potential matchups
