Paulo Costa issued an apology to Russian fans for comments he made at a press conference. He acknowledged saying negative things about Russians and expressed regret, clarifying that his animosity is directed specifically at Khamzat Chimaev, whom he referred to as Chechen rather than Russian. Costa stated he knows and likes Russian people, having met some in Germany. He mentioned defeating two Russian fighters already and expressed hope to face Chimaev in the future. The Brazilian fighter attempted to walk back his earlier inflammatory rhetoric while maintaining his personal rivalry with Chimaev.
Paulo Costa has issued a public apology to Russian fans after inflammatory remarks he made at a recent press conference drew backlash, while making clear that his real grievance is with one specific fighter: Khamzat Chimaev.
The Brazilian middleweight, ranked 13th in the division at 35 years old, acknowledged that his words at the press conference were harmful and expressed genuine regret toward Russian fans. Costa was careful to separate his feelings, stating that he knows and likes Russian people — pointing to friendships formed during time spent in Germany — and clarified that his animosity is aimed squarely at Chimaev, whom he referred to as Chechen rather than Russian. The 185-centimeter striker, fighting out of Team Borracha, carries a 16-4 record and has built a reputation as one of the most aggressive volume punchers in the middleweight division, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. He also noted that he has already defeated two Russian fighters in his career and expressed a desire to eventually share the octagon with Chimaev.
Chimaev, fighting out of the United Arab Emirates and training at Allstars Training Center, sits at the top of the middleweight rankings at number one and holds a pound-for-pound ranking of tenth. The 32-year-old carries a 15-1 record and presents a sharply contrasting profile to Costa — averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes at 60 percent striking accuracy, making him one of the most complete threats in the division at 188 centimeters tall with a 191-centimeter reach.
Why it matters
- A Costa versus Chimaev matchup would pit the division's 13th-ranked fighter against its top contender, with significant ranking implications for both.
- The styles diverge dramatically: Costa's high-volume striking against Chimaev's elite grappling and takedown rate would create a genuine stylistic clash.
- Costa's public walk-back suggests he is actively working to keep the rivalry alive and the fight relevant without further off-cage controversy.
