Paulo Costa expressed frustration that Josh Hokit received a double bonus for his fight with Curtis Blaydes while Costa received no bonus at all. Costa argued that his opponent Armen Petrosyan had a 16-0 record and that he finished the fight early after three rounds of hard striking. He stated he felt so upset about the decision that he messaged Dana White and Hunter Campbell directly, calling the situation unfair and hoping they would reconsider their decision. Costa believes he deserved the performance bonus more than Hokit despite acknowledging that Hokit's heavyweight bout was one of the best he had ever seen.
Paulo Costa has gone public with his frustration over being passed over for a performance bonus following his recent middleweight bout, revealing that he took his complaints directly to UFC president Dana White and executive Hunter Campbell.
Costa, ranked 13th in the middleweight division, posted a 16-4-0 record heading into the fight and argued he earned a finish after three rounds of sustained, high-volume striking against Armen Petrosyan. The Brazilian, who stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, is one of the sport's most aggressive pressure fighters, landing an impressive 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. He expressed particular frustration that he was overlooked despite, in his own words, taking on a dangerous opponent and finishing the contest cleanly.
Petrosyan, known as "Superman," carried a record the summary describes as 16-0 at the time of the booking, though the Armenian fighter's verified record stands at 9-5-0. Standing six-foot-three with a 71-inch reach, Petrosyan is a forward-moving striker himself, averaging 5.84 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, making for a genuinely competitive striking matchup on paper.
The bonus that drew Costa's ire went to Josh Hokit for his heavyweight bout involving Curtis Blaydes. Blaydes, ranked fourth at heavyweight with a 19-6-0 record, is a physical specimen at six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach and averages 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes. Costa acknowledged the Hokit-Blaydes fight was among the best heavyweight bouts he had ever witnessed, but maintained that a double bonus for that contest while he received nothing was unjust.
Why it matters
- Costa's public lobbying puts pressure on UFC brass and draws attention to how discretionary bonuses are awarded
- A successful appeal could affect how the promotion evaluates striking-heavy middleweight finishes going forward
- The dispute highlights the lack of a formal, transparent process for performance bonus decisions
