Paulo Costa expressed frustration that Josh Howitt received a double bonus for his fight with Curtis Blaydes while Costa received no bonus despite finishing his opponent. Costa argued his knockout of an undefeated Russian fighter was more deserving than Howitt's performance. He revealed he was so upset that he messaged Dana White and Hunter Campbell directly about the decision. Costa stated he believes the bonus decision was unfair and hopes UFC leadership will reconsider. He emphasized his three-round domination and early finish as evidence he deserved the performance bonus.
Paulo Costa is publicly demanding a performance bonus after his knockout victory at a recent UFC event, revealing he contacted UFC president Dana White and executive Hunter Campbell directly to contest the bonus decision.
Costa, who fights out of Brazil under the Team Borracha banner, finished an undefeated Russian opponent and argued his effort was more deserving of recognition than the double bonus awarded to Josh Howitt for his fight against Curtis Blaydes. The 35-year-old middleweight pointed to his three-round domination and early finish as clear grounds for a performance bonus, and expressed open frustration that the UFC's bonus committee saw it differently.
Ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division with a 16-4-0 professional record, Costa has long been one of the most aggressive finishers in the 185-pound weight class. Standing six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, he lands an eye-catching 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect the high-output pressure style he carried into his most recent outing.
Heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes, ranked fourth at 265 pounds, was on the other side of the Howitt fight that sparked Costa's complaint. The six-foot-four American holds a 19-6-0 record and is one of the division's most active grapplers, averaging 5.38 takedown attempts per fifteen minutes.
Why it matters
- Costa's public appeal puts UFC bonus allocation under scrutiny, a process the promotion controls entirely at its discretion.
- A favorable response from White or Campbell would be unusual and could set a debated precedent around post-event bonus disputes.
- The middleweight at rank thirteen needs high-profile moments and financial incentives to climb back toward title contention, making the bonus question more than symbolic for Costa's camp.
