Paulo Costa has expressed frustration after Josh Hocutt received two performance bonuses for his fight against Curtis Blaydes while Costa received none. Costa finished his opponent, an undefeated Russian fighter with a 16-0 record, in three rounds of dominant striking. He believes his performance was more deserving of a bonus than Hocutt's heavyweight bout. Costa stated he was so upset that he reached out directly to Dana White and Hunter Campbell, asking them to reconsider the decision. He described feeling angry and wanting to destroy everything, hoping UFC leadership will correct what he views as an unfair decision.
Paulo Costa is calling for UFC brass to revisit the post-fight bonus decisions from a recent card, after the Brazilian middleweight walked away empty-handed despite finishing his opponent while Josh Hocutt collected two performance bonuses from a single heavyweight bout against Curtis Blaydes.
Costa, ranked 13th in the middleweight division, stopped an undefeated Russian fighter who carried a 16-0 record into the bout, closing the show in three rounds through dominant striking. The 35-year-old from Brazil holds a professional record of 16-4-0 and has long been regarded as one of the division's most aggressive finishers. His output backs that reputation, with 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute and a striking accuracy of 58 percent — numbers that place him among the elite in the 185-pound class.
Costa made clear he was furious with the bonus outcome, stating he was so upset he wanted to destroy everything. He took the unusual step of contacting UFC President Dana White and executive Hunter Campbell directly, urging them to reconsider awarding him recognition for what he views as the more deserving performance of the night.
His frustration centers on Hocutt's heavyweight contest against Curtis Blaydes, the fourth-ranked heavyweight in the world. Blaydes, a 35-year-old American out of Elevation Fight Team, owns a 19-6-0 record and is one of the division's most dangerous grappling threats, averaging 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes. Costa's argument is not with Blaydes but with the UFC's decision to award Hocutt two bonuses from that contest while his own finish of an unbeaten opponent went unrewarded.
Why it matters
- Costa finished a 16-0 unbeaten fighter yet received no bonus, fueling a public dispute with UFC leadership
- Hocutt receiving two bonuses from one bout is the specific grievance driving Costa's outreach to White and Campbell
- The episode adds tension between Costa and UFC management at a point when the middleweight contender is trying to re-establish himself inside the top ten
