Paulo Costa has changed his stance and stated he hates Russian fighters, calling Azamat Murzakanov the second Russian in a row he will defeat. Costa referred to his opponent as a "fat guy" and promised that Khamzat Chimaev will be the third Russian on his list after he deals with Murzakanov. Video footage from Costa's team showed him struggling significantly to make 93 kilograms, despite previously competing at 84 kg. The post is part of a larger update covering multiple fighters including Jon Jones announcing retirement, Johnny Walker's gesture to Jiri Prochazka, and Josh Hocket apologizing for his antics. Merab Dvalishvili also announced plans to fight twice more this year despite a broken nose.
Paulo Costa is turning up the heat ahead of his matchup with Azamat Murzakanov, unleashing a pointed verbal attack on his upcoming opponent and signaling broader ambitions against Russian fighters in the division.
Costa, a 35-year-old Brazilian middleweight ranked thirteenth in his division, declared that he now hates Russian fighters and framed Murzakanov as the second Russian he intends to defeat in succession. The Eraser, who carries a professional record of 16-4, called his opponent a "fat guy" and vowed to add Khamzat Chimaev to his list of Russian victims once Murzakanov is handled. Costa is one of the more active strikers in the middleweight division, averaging 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute at a 58 percent striking accuracy rate.
Video released by Costa's team drew attention for a different reason, showing him visibly struggling to cut down to 93 kilograms — a notable effort given that he previously competed at 84 kilograms.
Why it matters
- Costa's callout of Chimaev, should he get past Murzakanov, would carry real divisional weight in a crowded middleweight picture.
- The weight-cut footage raises questions about how Costa will perform at fight time if making 93 kg is already proving difficult.
- His aggressive, high-volume striking style sets up an entertaining stylistic test against Murzakanov.
Elsewhere in the same update, Jon Jones announced his retirement, light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker made a notable gesture toward Jiri Prochazka — the second-ranked light heavyweight at 32-6-1 who fights out of Jetsaam Gym Brno — and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili revealed plans to compete twice more in 2026 despite carrying a broken nose. Josh Hocket also issued an apology for recent behavior.
